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.