• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.39 no.2
• /
• pp.276-285
• /
• 2019

The objective of this study was to determine effects of humic acid (HA) and blueberry leaf powder (BLP) supplementation in pig feed on productivity, blood profiles, and meat quality characteristics of longissimus muscle. The experimental design included six treatments: 1) CON, no addition; 2) T1, BLP 0.1%; 3) T2, BLP 0.2%; 4) T3, humic acid 2%; 5) T4: humic acid 2%+BLP 0.1%; and 6) T5: humic acid 2%+BLP 0.2%. HA and BLP supplementation in pig feed significantly increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) values (p<0.05). HA supplementation in pig feed had beneficial effects in lipid profiles without altering feed efficiency rate (FER). HA and BLP co-supplementation in pig feed decreased pH in longissimus thoracis (p<0.05). In addition, sensory characteristics were enhanced when pig feed was supplemented with HA and BLP without causing adverse effects in meat quality. Taken together, addition of HA and BLP in pig feed may produce functional meat products.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.4_spc
• /
• pp.755-774
• /
• 2024

The main objective of this study was to present data on the current situation and future trends of pig meat production in the European Union-27 (EU). Pig production has played an important social and economic role for centuries in many states of the EU. In 2022, pig meat production in the EU reached 23 M tons, which represented 21% of total production worldwide. The two key reasons that justify such amount of pork produced, are the acceptance and high consumption of the meat by the local population and the high quality of the meat produced which facilitated pork export. However, current data show a reduction in pork production for the last three years, as a consequence of a series of events that include i) problems with the chain of ingredients supply, ii) uncontrolled increase in African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreaks, iii) fast recovery of pig production in China, iv) increasing concerns by the rural population on the high cost to meet future requirements of the EU legislation on farm management, environmental sustainability and animal welfare, v) increased cost of all inputs involved in pig production and vi) limited interest of the new farmer generation to work on the pig sector. Consequently, pork production is expected to decrease in the EU for the next years, although sales will be maintained at a relative high level because pork is the meat preferred by local consumers in most EU countries. In order to maintain the favourable position of the pork industry in the near future, strategies to implement include: i) maintain the quality of the meat destinated to export markets, ii) improve the control of outbreaks of ASF and other swine diseases, iii) implementation of technological innovations to improve working conditions making more attractive to work in the pork sector of the food chain to the new generation of farmers and workers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.65 no.5
• /
• pp.1081-1093
• /
• 2023

This study aimed to compare meat quality traits between Berkshire and crossbreed (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc), and to investigate the relationship between meat quality traits and fatty acid composition. 20 Berkshire and 20 crossbreed pigs were used to compare pork loin quality and to determine the relationship between measured variables. 23 variables were measured including proximate composition, pH, drip loss and cooking loss, Warner-Bratzler shear force, and fatty acid composition. Berkshire had higher moisture content, pH, water-holding capacity, saturated fatty acids, and redness than the crossbreed pig (p < 0.05). The fat content and polyunsaturated fatty acid were low (p < 0.05) in Berkshire. Correlation analysis showed a negatively correlation between moisture and fat content, and a positively correlation between saturated fatty acid and fat content. Moreover, saturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid were negatively correlated. As a result of factor analysis and partial least square regression, saturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid were estimated to be the main factors affecting quality characteristics of pork. Pig breed is associated with differences in meat quality, and fatty acid composition can have an effect on meat quality parameters.

• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.36 no.7
• /
• pp.1091-1100
• /
• 2023

Objective: The present study is to examine the effect of high inclusion of co-products in pig diets (referred to as an alternative diet) during the finishing stage on pig growth performance, meat quality and boar taint compounds. Methods: Growing pigs were fed an alternative diet made with distillers dried grains with solubles (25%), canola meal (20%), and wheat middling (15%) or a control diet based on barley and soybean meal to investigate the impact of co-products on pig performance and meat quality. Sixteen female and sixteen entire male Duroc×(Large White×Landrace) pigs (22.6±2.07 kg, body weight±standard error) were equally allocated to the diets. Results: Pigs fed the alternative diet had a lower feed intake; however, growth rate and feed conversion efficiency were unaffected by diet. A diet by sex interaction was found for gain:feed whereby males fed the alternative diet had the best feed conversion (p<0.01). Pork from pigs fed the alternative diet had lower a^* and Chroma and protein % (p<0.05), while other meat quality characteristics were unaffected. The alternative diet reduced backfat skatole levels (p<0.001). Conclusion: A diet containing high inclusion levels of co-products can be fed to pigs during the finishing stage without detrimental effects on pig performance or meat quality and with the potential to enhance pork flavour. This finding suggests a solution to increase the sustainable development of pig production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.1017-1025
• /
• 2000

The traditional methods for determining the quality of milk, cheese and meat are tedious and expensive, with a significant wastage of chemicals which pollute the environment. To overcome these disadvantages, the potential of near infrared spectrophotometry (NIR) for monitoring the quality of milk and meat has been evaluated by a number of researchers. While most studies indicate that NIR can be used to predict chemical composition of milk and meat, and to monitor the cutting-point during cheese manufacturing, one study demonstrated the potential of NIR to predict sensory characteristics (e.g. hardness and tenderness) of beef. These calibrations were developed on a small number of samples, limiting their value for adoption by the industries. Now that the sophisticated computer software is available, more robust calibrations need to be developed to monitor both chemical and physical characteristics of meat and meat products simultaneously.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.155-160
• /
• 2008

Several studies have reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) for meat quality on porcine chromosome 2 (http://www.animalgenome.org/QTLdb/pig.html). For application of the molecular genetic information to the pig industry through marker-assisted selection, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were analyzed by comparative re-sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products of 13 candidate genes with DNA from commercial pig breeds such as Berkshire, Yorkshire, Landrace, Duroc and Korean Native pig. A total of 34 SNPs were identified in 15 PCR products producing an average of one SNP in every 253 bp. PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assays were developed for 11 SNPs and used to investigate allele frequencies in five commercial pig breeds in Korea. Eight of the SNPs appear to be fixed in at least one of the five pig breeds, which indicates that different selection among pig breeds might be applied to these SNPs. Polymorphisms detected in the PTH, CSF2 and FOLR genes were chosen to genotype a Berkshire-Yorkshire pig breed reference family for linkage and association analyses. Using linkage analysis, PTH and CSF2 loci were mapped to pig chromosome 2, while FOLR was mapped to pig chromosome 9. Association analyses between SNPs in the PTH, CSF2 and FOLR suggested that the CSF2 MboII polymorphism was significantly associated with several pork quality traits in the Berkshire and Yorkshire crossed F2 pigs. Our current findings provide useful SNP marker information to fine map QTL regions on pig chromosome 2 and to clarify the relevance of SNP and quantitative traits in commercial pig populations.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.356-365
• /
• 2011

We assessed the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the porcine fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene regarding meat quality and fatty acid composition in two pig populations: Korean native pigs (KNP) were crossed with Yorkshire (YS) $F_2$, and KNP were crossed with Landrace (LR) $F_2$. Direct DNA sequencing using eight KNP and eight YS pigs revealed two SNPs: c.265C>T (silent) in exon 4 and c.6545A>C (Asn${\rightarrow}$His) in exon 39. The frequency of the two SNPs was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in seven pig breeds and their association with meat quality traits and fatty acid composition was studied. In the $KNP{\times}YSF_2$ population, both SNPs were significantly associated with the level of monounsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic (C16:1) and oleic acid (C18:1) (p<0.005). c.6545A>C was associated with intramuscular fat content in both populations. Our results indicate that variations in c.265C>T and c.6545A>C of the pig FASN can be used to select animals with better fatty acid composition and meat quality. Moreover, KNP was a useful breed for identifying genetic factors affecting meat quality and fatty acid composition and for producing high quality pork.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.32 no.8
• /
• pp.1084-1094
• /
• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to select the candidate genes affecting meat quality and preliminarily explore the related molecular mechanisms in the Mashen pig. Methods: The present study explored genetic factors affecting meat quality in the Mashen pig using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). We sequenced the transcriptomes of 180-day-old Mashen and Large White pigs using longissimus dorsi to select differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Results: The results indicated that a total of 425 genes were differentially expressed between Mashen and Large White pigs. A gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched for biological processes associated with metabolism and muscle development, while a Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis showed that DEGs mainly participated in signaling pathways associated with amino acid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and skeletal muscle differentiation. A MCODE analysis of the protein-protein interaction network indicated that the four identified subsets of genes were mainly associated with translational initiation, skeletal muscle differentiation, amino acid metabolism, and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Conclusion: Based on the analysis results, we selected glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1, malate dehydrogenase 1, pyruvate dehydrogenase 1, pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4, and activator protein-1 as candidate genes affecting meat quality in pigs. A discussion of the related molecular mechanisms is provided to offer a theoretical basis for future studies on the improvement of meat quality in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.303-309
• /
• 2014

The increasing importance of meat quality has implications for animal breeding programs. Research has revealed much about the genetic background of pigs, and many studies have revealed the importance of various genetic factors. Since meat quality is a complex trait which is affected by many factors, consideration of the overall phenotype is very useful to study meat quality. For integrating the phenotypes, we used principle component analysis (PCA). The significant SNPs refer to results of the GRAMMAR method against PC1, PC2 and PC3 of 14 meat quality traits of 181 Duroc pigs. The Genome-wide association study (GWAS) found 26 potential SNPs affecting various meat quality traits. The loci identified are located in or near 23 genes. The SNPs associated with meat quality are in or near five genes (ANK1, BMP6, SHH, PIP4K2A, and FOXN2) and have been reported previously. Twenty-five of the significant SNPs also located in meat quality-related QTL regions, these result supported the QTL effect indirectly. Each single gene typically affects multiple traits. Therefore, it is a useful approach to use integrated traits for the various traits at the same time. This innovative approach using integrated traits could be applied on other GWAS of complex-traits including meat-quality, and the results will contribute to improving meat-quality of pork.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.27 no.3
• /
• pp.482-488
• /
• 1998

This study was carried out to determine the effect of treating with salt-fermented shrimp on quality of pig meat. The treated pig meats were stored at 4$^{\circ}C$, 1$0^{\circ}C$, 2$0^{\circ}C$ or 4$^{\circ}C$ after placing 2$0^{\circ}C$ for 35 hours, respectively. Meat tenderness was improved more at 2$0^{\circ}C$ storage than at 1$0^{\circ}C$ and 4$^{\circ}C$ storage. However, in water holding capacity, the meat stored at 4$^{\circ}C$ was increased more than them of 1$0^{\circ}C$ and 2$0^{\circ}C$. Cooking loss was decreased more at 4$^{\circ}C$ than the other storage temperatures. When meat color observed, it was good at the early stage of storage but went down to the worse gradually. According to the result of SDS-PAGE, myofibrillar proteins were degraded more after treated with salt-fermented shrimp than the control. Among them, titin-I was especially degraded after 2 days at 4$^{\circ}C$ storage even though it was degraded after 1 day at 1$0^{\circ}C$ and 2$0^{\circ}C$ storage. These results suggest that salt-fermented shrimps cause to improve the quality of pork meats by increasing the meat color, meat tenderness and water holding capacity at the early stage of storage.