Rumen-protected Arg fed to pregnant ewes results in greater plasma concentrations of Arg, Glu, Met and Val by comparison to controls (Gootwine et al., 2020). In addition to altered serum amino acids, non-pregnant ewe lambs supplemented with rumen-protected Arg demonstrated increased blood flow to peripheral tissues (Peine et al., 2020). Thus, Arg supplementation to undernourished pregnant ewes may offset the negative consequences of growth restriction on the pre- and post-natal offspring. A recent study demonstrated that nutrient restricted pregnant ewes fed rumen-protected Arg exhibited improved blood blow that was not restored to levels found in control ewes receiving a normal gestation diet (Peine et al., 2021). The results are promising but further work is needed to define Arg supplementation strategies as a countermeasure for at-risk pregnancies.

The effects of maternal nutrition and arginine supplementation on ewes and their offspring

Credit: Journal of Animal Science, Volume 99, Issue 11, November 2021, skab283, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/

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Publisher: American Society of Animal Science

Rights: Name must appear as a credit whenever the image is used - Journal of Animal Science, Volume 99, Issue 11, November 2021, skab283, https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skab283

Description: Rumen-protected Arg fed to pregnant ewes results in greater plasma concentrations of Arg, Glu, Met and Val by comparison to controls (Gootwine et al., 2020). In addition to altered serum amino acids, non-pregnant ewe lambs supplemented with rumen-protected Arg demonstrated increased blood flow to peripheral tissues (Peine et al., 2020). Thus, Arg supplementation to undernourished pregnant ewes may offset the negative consequences of growth restriction on the pre- and post-natal offspring. A recent study demonstrated that nutrient restricted pregnant ewes fed rumen-protected Arg exhibited improved blood blow that was not restored to levels found in control ewes receiving a normal gestation diet (Peine et al., 2021). The results are promising but further work is needed to define Arg supplementation strategies as a countermeasure for at-risk pregnancies.

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