Triptofano En La Dieta

British Journal of Nutrition
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Preliminary study: voluntary food intake in dogs during tryptophan  supplementationVíctor Fragua, Gemma González­Ortiz, Cecilia Villaverde, Marta Hervera, Valentina Maria Mariotti, Xavier Manteca and  María Dolores Baucells
British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 106 / Supplement S1 / October 2011, pp S162 ­ S165 DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511000535, Published online: 12 October 2011

Link to this article: http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0007114511000535 How to cite this article:Víctor Fragua, Gemma González­Ortiz, Cecilia Villaverde, Marta Hervera, Valentina Maria Mariotti, Xavier Manteca and  María Dolores Baucells (2011). Preliminary study: voluntary food intake in dogs during tryptophan supplementation. British  Journal of Nutrition, 106, pp S162­S165 doi:10.1017/S0007114511000535 Request Permissions : Click here

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British Journal of Nutrition (2011), 106, S162–S165 q TheAuthors 2011

doi:10.1017/S0007114511000535

Preliminary study: voluntary food intake in dogs during tryptophan supplementation
´ ´ Vıctor Fragua, Gemma Gonzalez-Ortiz, Cecilia Villaverde*, Marta Hervera, Valentina Maria Mariotti, ´ Xavier Manteca and Marıa Dolores Baucells
Animal Nutrition, Management and Welfare Research Group, Department of Animal and Food Science, Universitat ` Autonomade Barcelona, Campus UAB, 08193 Cerdanyola, Spain
(Received 18 October 2010 – Revised 17 December 2010 – Accepted 11 January 2011)

British Journal of Nutrition

Abstract Tryptophan, a precursor of important molecules such as serotonin, melatonin and niacin, is an essential amino acid for dogs. In pigs, tryptophan supplementation has been shown to induce a significant increase in food intake.The aim of the present study was to assess whether long-term tryptophan supplementation increases voluntary food intake in dogs and to observe whether this was accompanied by a change in serum ghrelin. In the present study, sixteen adult Beagle dogs were used, with four male and four female dogs fed diets supplemented with tryptophan (1 g/dog per d) during 81 d (Trp) and four male and four femaledogs that were not supplemented (control). A voluntary food intake test was performed during 5 d following the supplementation period. The Trp group tended to show a higher food intake during the voluntary food intake test (58·0 (SE 5·37) v. 77·5 (SE 3·65) g/kg metabolic weight per d; P¼ 0·074). No significant differences were found for serum ghrelin concentrations. Key words: Tryptophan: Foodintake: Ghrelin: Dogs

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid for monogastric animals. It is a metabolic precursor of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and melatonin, and also of niacin (vitamin B3)(1). Alterations in the serotonin metabolic pathway have been implicated in the pathophysiology of several behavioural disorders such as aggression, depression and anxiety. A relationship between lowconcentrations of 5-hydroxytryptohan in the cerebrospinal fluid and aggression(2 – 4) has been suggested. DeNapoli et al.(5) showed that a low-protein diet supplemented with tryptophan might help in managing canine aggression problems. However, Bosch et al.(6) showed that there was no effect of tryptophan supplementation (5·70 g/100 g DM) on the behaviour of anxious dogs. Therefore, the influence ofdietary tryptophan intake on the behaviour of pathologically anxious or chronically stressed dogs remains to be established. Besides its proposed effect on behaviour, some studies in growing pigs have shown that tryptophan supplementation can result in a significant increase in food intake(7 – 9). One of the proposed mechanisms of action is through the influence on mRNA...