A Review on the Effect of Arginine on Growth Performance, Meat Quality, Intestine Morphology, and Immune System of Broiler Chickens

For chickens, arginine considered an essential amino acid due to the lack of urea cycle in birds. Arginine deficiency causes growth retardation, higher prevalence of disease due to the malfunction of immune system, and lower gastrointestinal capacity. However, higher levels of arginine in the diet improved growth performance, muscle hypertrophy, and meat quality. Arginine reduces carcass fat accretion by reducing liver lipogenic enzyme expressions and activities, but it improves muscle fat content. As an immunonutrition, feeding arginine shows some immunostimulatory and thymotrophic role and improves both humoral and cellular immunity. Also, in ovo injection of arginine improves both growth and immune function of birds. Arginine also improves insulin, growth hormone, and thyroid hormone secretion and by which, improves growth in a dose dependent manner. Arginine also improves small intestine histomorphology and enzyme activity and then, improves bird digestive system capacity and efficiency. Accordingly, the aim of this review article was to focus on the effects of arginine on growth, immune system, and meat quality of broiler chickens.