Effect of guanidinoacetic acid supplementation in the growing and finishing phase on the metabolomic profile of Nelore bulls

• Grant number: 24/16780-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Paulo Roberto Leme
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Ramos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The rearing phase is the period of greatest growth for the animal, but it is the longest phase in the beef cattle production cycle. This is due to the fact that this phase is the time of greatest muscle development in the animal, which is a slow and gradual process until the animal reaches sexual maturity or the ideal weight for carcass finishing. Various rearing feeding strategies, mainly with protein and energy supplements, are currently being used to improve growth, reduce the production cycle and bring animals to slaughter earlier, with the aim of making the production cycle shorter and with a faster return on investment. One of the strategies used to achieve this goal is the use of feed additives such as guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). AGA is a natural precursor of creatine and is used in medicine for treatments to prevent muscle atrophy and as a hypertrophy stimulant in individuals who carry out physical activity. This compound has also been used in poultry and pig production, and recently in cattle, only in feedlot finishing to improve performance. This proposal aims to evaluate ruminant metabolism in response to guanidinoacetic acid nutrition during the growth and finishing phases in Nelore bulls. The expected results of this study will be animals with a higher protein-energy metabolism and a higher concentration of energy metabolites for protein synthesis and muscle hypertrophy.