Dietary supplementation with glutamine at 1%, glutamate at 0.5%, and aspartate at 0.1% increases expression of occludin, claudin-1, and claudin-3 in the small intestine and reduces serum diamine oxidase and D-lactate concentrations, thereby improving intestinal barrier integrity in weaning piglets.

When piglets are weaned, their gut lining gets damaged and starts leaking. Supplementing their diet with glutamine, glutamate, and aspartate gives their intestinal cells the fuel and building blocks they need to repair themselves. These amino acids are used to make energy, which powers the cells to multiply and rebuild the lining. They also trigger signals that tell the cells to make more proteins that seal the gaps between them, and they help produce more of the proteins that hold the gut lining together. This stops harmful substances from leaking into the bloodstream.