Use of ractopamine in finishing pigs: general concepts
DOI:
Keywords:
pigs, β-adrenergic agonist, ractopamine, welfareAbstract
β-adrenergic agonists are among the many additives used in pigs in recent years as possible replacements for antibiotic growth promoters. The main representative of β-adrenergic agonists is ractopamine, included in the category of phenethylamines, which is the most widely used additive in swine production in Brazil. Ractopamine modifies metabolism re-directing nutrients to a greater synthesis of muscle over the formation of adipose tissue. As a result, animals have higher meat:fat ratios, which is appreciated by consumers. In this sense, due to better efficiency in forming muscle, there is an improvement in weight gain and feed conversion. Due to the mode of action, ractopamine is administered in finishing diets prior to slaughter in animals that have already reached maturity and their protein holding capacity is decreasing. However, ractopamine is a synthetic catecholamine and can generate physiological changes in animals, inducing modifications in behavior going against the currents of animal welfare, and may also negatively affect quality of the meat. This review summarizes the main concepts concerning ractopamine such as its mechanisms of action, characteristics, effects, and its limitations of use.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2010 Piero da Silva Agostini
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Você tem o direito de:
Compartilhar — copiar e redistribuir o material em qualquer suporte ou formato
Adaptar — remixar, transformar, e criar a partir do material para qualquer fim, mesmo que comercial.
O licenciante não pode revogar estes direitos desde que você respeite os termos da licença. De acordo com os termos seguintes:
Atribuição
— Você deve dar o crédito apropriado, prover um link para a licença e indicar se mudanças foram feitas. Você deve fazê-lo em qualquer circunstância razoável, mas de nenhuma maneira que sugira que o licenciante apoia você ou o seu uso. Sem restrições adicionais
— Você não pode aplicar termos jurídicos ou medidas de caráter tecnológico que restrinjam legalmente outros de fazerem algo que a licença permita.