Feed Additives - Glycine

What is Glycine?

Glycine is the simplest of the 20 members of the amino acid family, also known as aminoacetic acid，and is a non-essential amino acid.It is a constituent of the endogenous antioxidant-reduced glutathione, which may need to be supplemented during times of severe stress.Therefore, it is sometimes referred to as a semi-essential amino acid.

Glycine Physical and chemical properties：

Glycine is a white crystalline powder that can appear as white crystals of monoclinic or hexagonal crystal system. It is odourless and has a sweet taste. It is easily soluble in water, with solubility varying with temperature. However, it is extremely difficult to dissolve in ethanol, with a solubility of about 0.06g in 100g of anhydrous ethanol, and is almost insoluble in acetone and ether.
Glycine Functional role：

Glycine can be used both as a raw material for the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters and as a modulator of certain neurotransmitters.When glycine is used as a raw material, it is involved in the body's protein synthesis and, at the same time, is the basic structure of many important substances such as methionine, choline, some important hormones, and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); when glycine is used as a neurotransmitter modulator, it can be used as either an inhibitory or an excitatory neurotransmitter. In the central nervous system, especially in the spine, glycine is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, and if the glycine acceptor is activated, chloride ions enter the nerve cell through the ion acceptor resulting in inhibitory postsynaptic potentials. In addition to this, glycine often has flavouring properties based on its unique sweetness.

Glycine Practical applications:

1. Nutritional supplement: Glycine, as a kind of amino acid, also has the effect of nutritional supplement. When it is added to feed, it can significantly improve the growth performance of animals, increase feed remuneration, and at the same time enhance the immunity of animals. In the process of specific use, it is mainly used as an additive and enticement to increase the amino acid in the feed for poultry, livestock and poultry, especially for pets. Besides, it can also be used as hydrolysed protein additive and hydrolysed protein synergist, which is an ideal nutritional supplement.

2. Preservative: Glycine has a strong inhibitory effect on Bacillus, Bacillus subtilis, and also has a certain weak inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli, so it has a certain anticorrosive efficacy, and it can be added to the feed for anticorrosive purposes, so as to prevent oxidative deterioration of the feed and prolong the freshness of the feed, which is generally used in the feed of sheep and cows more often.

3.Flavoring agent: Glycine has a special sweet taste, can moderate acid, and alkali taste, mask the bitter taste of food added saccharin, and enhance the sweet taste, so it can play the effect of masking the taste. Adding glycine to animal feed can improve its taste, stimulate feeding, promote weight gain in poultry and other animals, and improve their growth.

Glycine Matters need attention:

Glycine is considered safe and can be used without exceeding relevant content regulations.