Exploratory assessment of N-carbamylglutamate supplementation on feed efficiency and protein utilization in early growing pigs fed low crude protein diet.
- 1Department of Animal Industry Convergence, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Korea.
Abstract
Reducing dietary crude protein (CP) levels while supplementing with essential amino acids (AA) has been widely studied as a strategy to maintain nutrient balance while lowering nitrogen excretion. Among feed additives, N-carbamylglutamate (NCG), an arginine precursor with superior stability and mitochondrial permeability, has emerged as a promising feed additive for improving intestinal development and overall pig performance. A total of 240 crossbred grower pigs were allotted to four dietary treatments based on initial body weight. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two levels of dietary CP (MCP, 16% moderate CP; LCP, 14% low CP) and two levels of NCG supplementation (without NCG [WN]; NS, 0.1% NCG supplementation). Each treatment had 10 replicates, with six (3 male and 3 female) pigs per pen, and the feeding trial lasted for 4 weeks. Pigs fed the MCP diet tended to have higher final BW (p = 0.088) compared with the LCP diet. Feed efficiency was greater in MCP than LCP (p < 0.05) and also tended to be enhanced in the NS (p = 0.089). CP digestibility tended to increase in the NS group compared with the WN (p = 0.093). The digestibility of arginine and tyrosine was increased in the NS group compared with the WN group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, lysine (p = 0.067), glycine (p = 0.058), and the average of essential AA (p = 0.091) digestibility tended to be increased in the NS. The NS group showed higher concentrations of arginine, lysine, essential AA, non-essential AA, and total AA in the blood (p < 0.05). Trypsin activity showed a tendency to increase in the NS group compared with the WN group (p = 0.087). In conclusion, dietary NCG supplementation in a low-protein diet showed potential to improve feed efficiency, AA digestibility, and serum AA profiles in early growing pigs.
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BibTeX
@article{choi2026exploratory,
title = {{Exploratory assessment of N-carbamylglutamate supplementation on feed efficiency and protein utilization in early growing pigs fed low crude protein diet.}},
author = {So Dam Choi and Jun Young Mun and Abdolreza Hosseindoust and Habeeb Tajudeen and Seon Ah Park and Priscilla Neves Silvestre and Sang Sik Lee and Jin Soo Kim},
journal = {Journal of animal science and technology},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.5187/jast.2500167},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898809},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Exploratory assessment of N-carbamylglutamate supplementation on feed efficiency and protein utilization in early growing pigs fed low crude protein diet.
AU - So Dam Choi
AU - Jun Young Mun
AU - Abdolreza Hosseindoust
AU - Habeeb Tajudeen
AU - Seon Ah Park
AU - Priscilla Neves Silvestre
AU - Sang Sik Lee
AU - Jin Soo Kim
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Journal of animal science and technology
DO - 10.5187/jast.2500167
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42898809
AB - Reducing dietary crude protein (CP) levels while supplementing with essential amino acids (AA) has been widely studied as a strategy to maintain nutrient balance while lowering nitrogen excretion. Among feed additives, N-carbamylglutamate (NCG), an arginine precursor with superior stability and mitochondrial permeability, has emerged as a promising feed additive for improving intestinal development and overall pig performance. A total of 240 crossbred grower pigs were allotted to four dietary treatments based on initial body weight. Treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with two levels of dietary CP (MCP, 16% moderate CP; LCP, 14% low CP) and two levels of NCG supplementation (without NCG [WN]; NS, 0.1% NCG supplementation). Each treatment had 10 replicates, with six (3 male and 3 female) pigs per pen, and the feeding trial lasted for 4 weeks. Pigs fed the MCP diet tended to have higher final BW (p = 0.088) compared with the LCP diet. Feed efficiency was greater in MCP than LCP (p < 0.05) and also tended to be enhanced in the NS (p = 0.089). CP digestibility tended to increase in the NS group compared with the WN (p = 0.093). The digestibility of arginine and tyrosine was increased in the NS group compared with the WN group (p < 0.05). Furthermore, lysine (p = 0.067), glycine (p = 0.058), and the average of essential AA (p = 0.091) digestibility tended to be increased in the NS. The NS group showed higher concentrations of arginine, lysine, essential AA, non-essential AA, and total AA in the blood (p < 0.05). Trypsin activity showed a tendency to increase in the NS group compared with the WN group (p = 0.087). In conclusion, dietary NCG supplementation in a low-protein diet showed potential to improve feed efficiency, AA digestibility, and serum AA profiles in early growing pigs.
SN - 2055-0391
ER -