L-isoleucine as a feed additive

L-isoleucine, as a feed additive, has various effects on the growth performance of live pigs, which are as follows:

Promoting the Growth of Live Pigs: L-isoleucine is an essential amino acid that is indispensable in the growth process of live pigs. It participates in the synthesis of proteins in live pigs and provides a necessary material basis for muscle growth. Appropriate addition of L-isoleucine in pig farming can significantly increase the daily weight gain and feed conversion rate of live pigs, enabling them to reach a larger body weight within the same breeding cycle, thus improving the breeding efficiency. For example, in some experiments, adding an appropriate amount of L-isoleucine to the diet of growing and finishing pigs can increase the daily weight gain by 10%-15% and reduce the feed-to-weight ratio by 8%-12%.

Enhancing the Immunity of Live Pigs: L-isoleucine plays an important role in the immune regulation of live pigs. It helps maintain the normal function of the immune system of live pigs and promotes the proliferation of immune cells and the synthesis of antibodies. When live pigs are invaded by pathogens, an adequate amount of L-isoleucine can enhance their immune response ability, enabling live pigs to better resist diseases, reduce the occurrence of diseases, and thus ensure the healthy growth of live pigs, indirectly improving their growth performance. Studies have found that under immune stress conditions, adding L-isoleucine can significantly increase the levels of antibodies such as immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the serum of live pigs, enhancing their immunity.

Improving the Meat Quality: L-isoleucine has a positive impact on the meat quality of live pigs. It participates in the synthesis of inosinic acid in muscles, and inosinic acid is an important substance that affects the flavor and umami taste of meat. Appropriate addition of L-isoleucine can increase the content of inosinic acid in the muscles of live pigs, making the taste and flavor of pork better and improving the quality and market value of pork. At the same time, L-isoleucine can also regulate fat metabolism, reduce body fat deposition, increase the lean meat rate, and make the nutritional components of pork more in line with the needs of consumers.

However, the addition amount of L-isoleucine needs to be reasonably adjusted according to factors such as the growth stage, body weight, breed of live pigs, and the basic nutritional level of the feed. Excessive or insufficient addition may have an adverse impact on the growth performance of live pigs. Generally, the demand for L-isoleucine is relatively high in the piglet stage, and it gradually decreases as the body weight of live pigs increases. In practical applications, various factors need to be comprehensively considered to determine the optimal addition amount, achieving the optimization of the growth performance of live pigs and the maximization of breeding benefits.