The chemical name of betaine is trimethylglycine, which is a quaternary ammonium water-soluble alkaloid with molecular formula C5H11NO2 and molecular weight of 117.5. It has a positively charged nitrogen atom and a negatively charged carboxylate ion in the molecule, so it is an amphoteric The compound, its doubly charged structure and the chemical activity of its three methyl groups determine a unique function in animal nutrition metabolism. It can provide methyl group, participate in fat metabolism, regulate cell osmotic pressure, relieve stress, etc. It is easily soluble in water, easily soluble in methanol, soluble in ethanol, and insoluble in ether. As a feed nutritional additive, it can improve meat yield and quality, and greatly improve income efficiency.

Betaine is closely related to the metabolism of methionine. On the one hand, betaine reduces the consumption of methionine by providing methyl groups; on the other hand, betaine increases the activity of homocysteine-S-methyltransferase and promotes The conversion of homocysteine ​​has the effect of increasing methionine. At the same time, betaine can significantly increase the crude protein content, RNA and DNA ratio in animal liver and muscle, while the serum uric acid content significantly decreases, which indicates that betaine promotes protein synthesis in vivo, reduces protein decomposition, and makes protein in tissues Increased deposition accelerates the processing and modification of RNA.
 
Promote fat metabolism, reduce abdominal fat rate, and increase lean meat rate; betaine can also provide methyl for some substances related to fat metabolism in the body, directly participate in methyl chemical reaction, promote liver fat migration, affect blood lipoprotein concentration and Provide methyl group for the synthesis of carnitine, thereby improving the oxidation process of free fatty acids in the mitochondria of cells; betaine also promotes fat catabolism and inhibits fat by reducing the activity of abdominal fat or subcutaneous lipogenic enzymes and increasing the activity of lipolytic enzymes anabolism. This provides a theoretical basis for betaine to improve carcass lean meat percentage, reduce carcass fat percentage and backfat thickness, and increase muscle fat content in pigs.