Creatine and Its Relationship With Methionine + Cysteine in Finishing Pig Diets

This study aimed to evaluate the interaction between creatine monohydrate (CMH) and standardized ileal digestible (SID) methionine + cysteine (Met+Cys) in finishing pig diets on the performance, carcass traits, pork quality, blood biochemistry, gene expression of creatine transporter and muscle antioxidant action. Forty gilts, averaging 75.26±0.87 kg of initial weight, were distributed in a randomized blocks design, arranged in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme, consisting of two dietary CMH supplementation (0 and 0.10%) and two SID Met+Cys levels (0.40 and 0.44%), with 10 replicates and one animal per experimental unit. There was no interaction between CMH and SID Met+Cys on the performance and SLC6A8 gene expression (P>0.05). However, interactions were observed for the backfat thickness at P3 (P=0.004), drip water loss (DL) (P=0.018), thawing water loss (TL) (P=0.042) and plasma creatinine concentration (P=0.03). Supplementation with CMH provided low fat deposition at P3 point. Diets with the lowest SID Met+Cys level (0.40%) and containing CMH (0.10%) presented the highest water losses (DL and TL). Plasma creatinine concentration was lower in pigs receiving diets with 0.10% CMH than those not receiving, but only in diets containing 0.44% SID Met+Cys. In addition, 0.44% SID Met+Cys increased the percentage of inhibition of the DPPH radical (P=0.022). The effects of supplementing 0.10% CMH in finishing pig diets are evident on pork quality by using adequate levels of SID Met+Cys, which also assist in preventing the oxidative lipid damage in the Longissimus dorsi muscle.