Faure, M.
2012
Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit: The Gastrointestinal Tract

Amino acid requirements are defined in healthy conditions. In pathological situations, including intestinal inflammation, the body defense is associated with anabolic reactions involving the splanchnic area and especially the gut. Intestinal defense and repair processes dramatically increase the synthesis rate of proteins implicated in the gut barrier function, such as mucins. It augments the host’s need of specific amino acids, particularly those enriched in mucins. A “healthy” diet is therefore not adapted. Increasing the dietary supply of threonine, serine, proline and cysteine is required to promote mucin synthesis and strengthen the nonimmune intestinal barrier function.