Abstract: The high-copper diets were applied universally in the production of pigs. Recently its harm was showed in many reports. As a kind of organic copper,the copper amino acid chelate (mainly includes copper amino acid chelate compound,copper methionine,copper lysine,copper glycine) had heigher bioavailability and smaller toxicity and these characteristics already received more and more scholars, attention from both the domestic and foreign, and massive research experiments had been carried on.This article mainly summarized the copper amino acid chelate physics and chemistry characteristics,the biology function,the research advance and the aplications of the copper amino acid chelate as one kind of substitution of inorganic copper used in the pigs production.

Key words: copper; copper amino acid chelate; pigs