Functional amino acids play a crucial role in the development of animals and humans, according to a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.“This is cell signaling through amino acids and their metabolites and metabolic pathways may include protein synthesis, reactions, antioxidants and oxidation of energy substrates,” he said. “A functional amino acid can be a” “amino acid.” Non-essential “or” essential
Emphasis of research has focused on the essential amino acids. However, Wu said the two essential amino acids and nonessential amino acids must be considered.
“Currently, the United States, over 60 percent of adults are overweight or obese,” he said. “Globally, over 300 million adults are obese and more than 1 billion are overweight. In addition, a large number of children in the U.S. and other countries are overweight or obese. The most urgent needs for new research in amino acids and health are the functional roles of amino acids in the treatment and prevention of obesity and its associated cardiovascular dysfunction. ”
A functional amino acid is an amino acid can regulate key metabolic pathways to improve health, growth and reproduction of animals and humans, Wu said.
“This is important in the formulation of balanced diets to maximize growth performance of species of livestock, poultry and fish,” he said. “It ‘also recommended that the amino acids essential for humans will be provided to prevent stunted growth and chronic diseases.”
Although nutritional studies on animals have benefited human health, Wu suggests that caution should be taken to “extrapolate animal data to humans” as dietary requirements vary from one species to another.
Wu previous research has found that arginine, an amino acid, contributes many positive benefits of growth and embryo development in pigs, sheep and rats. Arginine also helps to fight. Wu has identified this as an important area for extensive research on new amino acids and health.
“One important area of research over the next year would be to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of certain amino acids (eg, arginine) can regulate metabolic pathways in animals and humans,” he said. “One example is how arginine reduces obesity and improves the metabolic syndrome, and as high levels of leucine may contribute to mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance (and vascular resistance) in obese subjects.”
He said that “without doubt” the recent progress in understanding the functional amino acids are “expanding our basic knowledge of protein metabolism and processing practices of the world.”
In a newspaper article appearing in the American Society for Nutrition (Advances in Nutrition 1:31-37, 2010), Dr. Wu Guoyao, nutritionist AgriLife Research animal companions, and senior lecturer at the department of animal science at Texas A & M University, invites scientists to “think outside the box” and put more emphasis on this area of study.
“We must move forward and exploit the potential of functional amino acids in improving health and animal production,” he said.
Wu also said that dietary supplementation with arginine can help to improve meat quality in pigs prior to slaughter.
The first two scientific discoveries in the field of amino acids and health over the past two decades, the synthesis of nitric oxide from arginine and the role of amino acids in cell signaling.
Wu said that men need balanced diets portions of amino acids for cardiovascular health and reproductive system.