Partitioning of dietary methionine sources toward protein and non-protein fates during lactation in sows

断奶前死亡率是猪的主要福利问题，对行业利益相关者来说是重大的收入损失。蛋氨酸是哺乳母猪不可缺少的氨基酸，不仅是蛋白质合成所必需的，也是半胱氨酸和牛磺酸的生物合成所必需的，而且是体内产生额外必需的非蛋白质分子（如肌酸和磷脂酰胆碱）的主要甲基供体。哺乳母猪饲粮中最佳蛋氨酸水平和来源以最大限度地提高产奶量和子代质量的研究很少。目前的饲养建议是基于在生产能力较低时期对母猪需求的历史估计，没有考虑氨基酸的蛋白质外作用，也没有考虑对产奶量或后代质量和存活率的影响。本研究将探讨饲粮中不同蛋氨酸来源对泌乳母猪产奶量、子代存活率和生长发育的影响，以及蛋氨酸在泌乳母猪体内蛋白质和非蛋白质形态之间的分配，最终为泌乳母猪提供实用的蛋氨酸饲喂建议。在此产生的数据也将有助于今后修改哺乳母猪的营养需求模型。通过提供理想的饲粮蛋氨酸水平和来源来提高母猪产奶量的好处包括提高母猪和后代的生产性能，通过最大限度地提高每头母猪的猪肉产量来减少猪肉生产的环境足迹，减少养猪场的氮损失，提高农场盈利能力和加拿大养猪业的经济活力。

Pre-weaning mortality is a major welfare concern for pigs and represents a significant loss of revenue for industry stakeholders. Methionine is an indispensable amino acid for lactating sows, necessary for protein synthesis but also for the biosynthesis of cysteine and taurine, and is the major methyl donor in the body to generate additional essential non-protein molecules like creatine and phosphatidylcholine. Research in the area of optimal dietary methionine level and source for lactating sows to maximize milk output and offspring quality is scarce. Current feeding recommendations are based on historical sow requirement estimates developed in times of lower production capacity and not considering extra-protein roles of amino acids, nor the effects on milk production or offspring quality and survivability. This research partnership will explore the effects of different dietary methionine sources on milk production and offspring survivability and growth, the partitioning of methionine between protein and non-protein fates within the lactating sow, and ultimately, generate practical methionine feeding recommendations for lactating sows. The data generated herein will also be useful for future modifications to nutrient requirements models for lactating sows. The benefits of improving sow milk production capacity by supplying the ideal dietary methionine level and source include improving sow and offspring performance, reducing the environmental footprint of pork production by maximizing the kilograms of pork produced per sow, reducing nitrogen losses from pig farms, and increasing farm profitability and the economic vitality of the Canadian swine industry.