Abstract: This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplementation of arginine activator additive (AAA) on meat quality and anti-oxidant function in Huanjiang mini-pigs.Sixteen Huanjiang mini-pigs with body weight of 28-33 kg were used and randomly assigned into two groups (8 pigs per group,housed in 4 pens with 2 pigs per pen),representing supplementation of 0 or 0.08％AAA in basical diet.At the end of a 30-day feeding period,the pigs were killed by bloodletting,and the plasma were got by centrifugation in heparin-coated tubes.The carcass were divided and carcass traits were measured.The tissues of liver and longissimus dorsi muscle were collected and saved at -20℃ for laboratory analysis.Data showed that,compared with the control group,dietary supplementation of AAA increased (P<0.05) the slaughter yield,as well as the weight radio of lean meat to carcass and lion-eye area (P>0.05),while decreased (P<0.05) the weight radio of fat to carcass and average backfat thickness.The plasma content of Zn in piglets fed AAA-supplemented diet increased (P<0.05),as well as the plasma content of HDL and activity of LPS (P>0.05),while decreased (P>0.05) the plasma content of CHO,compared with the control group.Dietary supplementing AAA decreased (P<0.05) the plasma content of malondialdehyde,while increased (P>0.05) the plasma activity of catalase than that of the control group.These findings suggested that dietary supplementing AAA increased significantly the slaughter yield and plasma content of Zn,as well as the anti-oxidant ability,while decreased significantly the weight ratio of fat to carcass and average backfat thickness,which result in the improvement of meat quality in Huanjiang mini-pigs.

Key words: arginine activator additive (AAA), Huanjiang mini-pig, meat quality, anti-oxidant function