The scientific name of betaine is trimethylglycine, which is a quaternylamine alkaloid. The molecular formula is C5H12NO2, and the molecular weight is 117.5. The molecular structure has two characteristics: first, the charge distribution in the molecule is neutral; Two, it has three active methyl groups. Its appearance is liquid, light brown crystalline powder, sweet taste, easy to absorb moisture, soluble in water and alcohol, aqueous solution is neutral, melting point 293℃, can withstand high temperature below 200℃, with strong oxidation resistance. As feed nutritional additive, it can improve meat yield and quality, and greatly increase income benefit.

Betaine is closely related to methionine metabolism. On the one hand, betaine can reduce methionine consumption by providing methyl; On the other hand, betaine promotes the conversion of homocysteine by increasing the activity of homocysteine s-methyl transferase, and has the effect of net methionine increase. According to research, betaine can make the crude protein content in the liver and muscles, RNA/DNA ratio significantly increased, but the content of serum uric acid is significantly lower, suggesting that betaine promotes protein synthesis in the body, reduce the decomposition of protein and protein deposition increases in the organization, its mechanism may be betaine by enhancing the methyl metabolism of the body, Accelerated RNA processing and modification.

Betaine has anti-fat effect, adding betaine in diet can decrease fat and increase protein content in growing chickens. Betaine can offer methyl amino methyl ethanol and generate choline, choline esters in metabolism plays an important role, which promote the formation of fatty acid oxidation and phospholipids, speed up the operation of esters, betaine synthesis of phospholipids, by promoting the body on the one hand, reduce the activity of lipase in the liver, on the other hand, have promote the synthesis of apolipoprotein in the liver, Among them, very low density lipoprotein is the main carrier protein used to carry endogenous triglycerides, which promotes the migration of fat in the liver, thus reducing the content of triglycerides in the liver.