Effect of ractopamine on lipid metabolism in vivo - a systematic review

The aim of this article was to evaluate the in vivo mechanism of action through which ractopamine reduces the amount of adipose tissue in carcass of animals fed diets supplemented with this drug. Literature search was carried out, using the keywords Ractopamine, lipogenesis, lipolysis, fatty acid and adipose tissue. The scoring system was designed for the adequacy of the methodology. A total of eight papers were found - all published in the English language. The determination of lipolysis and lipogenesis was carried out using different methods - from the quantification of non-esterified fatty acids in the blood to molecular analyses of adipose tissue. The review analysis suggested that, at least in the pigs, the use of this drug reduced lipid deposition in the carcass due to a greater inhibition of lipogenesis than an increase in lipolysis.