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Amino Acids in the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Health of Domestic Cats

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Amino Acids in Nutrition and Health

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1285))

Abstract

Domestic cats (carnivores) require high amounts of dietary amino acids (AAs) for normal growth, development, and reproduction. Amino acids had been traditionally categorised as nutritionally essential (EAAs) or nonessential (NEAAs), depending on whether they are synthesized de novo in the body. This review will focus on AA nutrition and metabolism in cats. Like other mammals, cats do not synthesize the carbon skeletons of twelve proteinogenic AAs: Arg, Cys, His, Ile, Leu, Lys, Met, Phe, Thr, Trp, Tyr, and Val. Like other feline carnivores but unlike many mammals, cats do not synthesize citrulline and have a very limited ability to produce taurine from Cys. Except for Leu and Lys that are strictly ketogenic AAs, most EAAs are both glucogenic and ketogenic AAs. All the EAAs (including taurine) must be provided in diets for cats. These animals are sensitive to dietary deficiencies of Arg and taurine, which rapidly result in life-threatening hyperammonemia and retinal damage, respectively. Although the National Research Council (NCR, Nutrient requirements of dogs and cats. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 2006) does not recommend dietary requirements of cats for NEAAs, much attention should be directed to this critical issue of nutrition. Cats can synthesize de novo eight proteinogenic AAs: Ala, Asn, Asp, Gln, Glu, Gly, Pro, and Ser, as well as some nonproteinogenic AAs, such as γ-aminobutyrate, ornithine, and β-alanine with important physiological functions. Some of these AAs (e.g., Gln, Glu, Pro, and Gly) are crucial for intestinal integrity and health. Except for Gln, AAs in the arterial blood of cats may not be available to the mucosa of the small intestine. Plant-source foodstuffs lack taurine and generally contain inadequate Met and Cys and, therefore, should not be fed to cats in any age group. Besides meat, animal-source foodstuffs (including ruminant meat & bone meal, poultry by-product meal, porcine mucosal protein, and chicken visceral digest) are good sources of proteinogenic AAs and taurine for cats. Meeting dietary requirements for both EAAs and NEAAs in proper amounts and balances is crucial for improving the health, wellbeing, longevity, and reproduction of cats.

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Abbreviations

AA :

amino acid

BCAA:

branched-chain amino acid

BCKAD:

branched chain α-ketoacid dehydrogenease

CP:

crude protein

DM:

dry matter

FHL:

feline hepatic lipidosis

IDO:

indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase

MAT:

methionine adenosyltranferase

NO:

nitric oxide

SAA:

sulfur-containing amino acid

SAM :

S-adenosylmethionine

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Acknowledgments

Research in our laboratories was supported by funds from Jilin Agricultural University (to G. Che) and Texas A&M AgriLife Research H-8200 (to G. Wu). We thanks our students and colleagues for helpful discussions.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, and Key Laboratory of Animal Production, Product Quality and Security of Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China

    Dongsheng Che, Pakama S. Nyingwa, Khakhathi M. Ralinala & Gwen M. T. Maswanganye

  2. Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA

    Dongsheng Che & Guoyao Wu

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  1. Dongsheng Che
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  2. Pakama S. Nyingwa
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  3. Khakhathi M. Ralinala
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  4. Gwen M. T. Maswanganye
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  5. Guoyao Wu
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Correspondence to Guoyao Wu .

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  1. Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M Univesity, College Station, TX, USA

    Guoyao Wu

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Che, D., Nyingwa, P.S., Ralinala, K.M., Maswanganye, G.M.T., Wu, G. (2021). Amino Acids in the Nutrition, Metabolism, and Health of Domestic Cats. In: Wu, G. (eds) Amino Acids in Nutrition and Health. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1285. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54462-1_11

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