Susceptibility of hepatic tissue of Iberian pigs is enhanced by free-range feeding and reduced by vitamin E supplementation

Efficiency of pea seeds in sow, piglet and fattener feeding

Two varieties of pea, one white flowering (cv. Tarchalska) and one colour flowering (cv. Milwa), partly replaced soybean meal in the diet of sows and their progeny, namely, piglets and growing pigs. The effect of a feed enzyme supplement (Ronozyme VP) was also determined Animal performance and carcass and meat quality were estimated using standard methods. There was no significant difference in the sow bodyweight, number of piglets born and litter weight between the treatments. After weaning, bodyweight gains of piglets in all groups were similar. During the fattening periods, the bodyweight gains of the pigs receiving cv. Milwa were significantly higher than those fed with cv. Tarchalska. The bodyweight gains in the control group were intermediate. The enzyme supplement did not improve bodyweight gains. The digestibility of protein (and in the grower period, also crude fibre and N-free extractives) was higher in the pigs receiving cv. Milwa than in those fed with cv. Tarchalska. There was no significant difference in carcass traits, except for the amount of meat in the ham, which was the highest in the control and lowest in the Milwa group. The intramuscular fat of the pigs fed with cv. Milwa contained significantly more of saturated fatty acids and less of unsaturated fatty acids than did both the control and the pigs fed with cv. Tarchalska. The peas had little effect on the physical traits of the meat; they improved its water-holding capacity but did not change its colour and lightness. Cv. Tarchalska significantly lowered all estimated sensory properties. It is concluded that pea seeds, especially the colour-flowering varieties, may be replacements of soybean meal, in moderate amounts, in the whole cycle of pig nutrition.

Effect of dietary inclusion of a herbal extract mixture and different oils on pig performance and meat quality

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a herbal extract mixture on pig performance and meat quality. The experiment was performed on 60 fatteners (60±0.5-112±2.0kg). Group I (control) was fed with standard feed; groups II and III received the same feed supplemented with 150mg BHT or 500mg of a herbal extract mixture (sage, nettle, lemon balm and coneflower) per kg of feed, respectively. In each group, half of the animals received 4% rapeseed oil, the other half soybean oil. The herbal extracts had no effect on animal performance but significantly improved meat oxidative stability, lowered cholesterol and TI index and increased PUFA content in meat. Slight differences between animals fed with rapeseed or soybean oils were observed. Gilt meat had significantly better (P≤0.01) AI, TI, and h/H indices than barrow meat. It was concluded that herbal extracts have a beneficial effect on pork health-promoting properties due to changes in lipid fraction.

Extensively reared Iberian pigs versus intensively reared white pigs for the manufacture of liver pâté

Physico-chemical characteristics and quality traits of the raw ingredients (muscle cuadriceps femoris, liver and adipose tissue) and the pâtés made from extensively reared Iberian pigs and intensively reared white pigs, were evaluated. The differences found between muscles, livers and adipose tissues from Iberian and white pigs influenced the characteristics of the pâtés. Compared to pâtés from white pigs, pâtés from Iberian pigs had a higher content of heme iron (27.5 μg/g vs 11.5 μg/g; p<0.05) and lower content of non-heme iron (27.5 μg/g vs 33.7 μg/g; p<0.05). Pâtés from Iberian pigs exhibited a darker colour (L (∗):18.6 vs 15.9, p<0.05) with less redness (a (∗) values: 9.1 vs 11.3; p<0.05) and yellowness (b (∗) values: 13.1 vs 14.8, p<0.05). Thus, pâtés from white pigs had higher values of chroma (18.6 vs 15.9, p<0.05) and smaller values of hue (52.5 vs 55.2, p<0.05) that those from Iberian pigs' pâtés. In fatty acid composition, pâtés from white pigs had higher proportions of SFA (37.9% vs 32.8%, p<0.05) and PUFA (14.4% vs 9.6%, p<0.05) than pâtés from Iberian pigs and lower percentages of oleic (53.4% vs 43.6%, p<0.05) and total of MUFA (57.5% vs 47.6%, p<0.05). Pâtés from Iberian pigs had a lower n-6/n-3 values (13.2 vs 17.2; p<0.05).

Two by-products of the olive oil extraction industry as oleic acid supplement source for Iberian pigs: effect on the meat's chemical composition and induced lipoperoxidation

BACKGROUND

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of two by-products of the olive oil extraction industry-olive soapstocks and olive-pomace oil-as added fat sources into feed concentrates, in two different rearing systems (free-range complemented with concentrates and intensive rearing with concentrates) on the chemical composition and oxidative stability of Iberian pig meat.

RESULTS

No differences in the chemical composition, colour and fatty acid composition of gluteobiceps m. were found due to added fat source. However, the feeding system had a significant effect on protein (P < 0.05), γ-tocopherol (P < 0.05), colour (P < 0.01) and fatty acid composition of gluteobiceps m. Neither added fat source nor the feeding system had an effect on the malondialdehyde content.

CONCLUSION

The addition of olive soapstock or olive-pomace oil as fat sources into concentrates did not influence meat composition or fatty acid profile. However, there are differences in the fatty acid composition of meat from Iberian pigs as a result of the production system used.

Fatty acid composition of Celta pig breed as influenced by sex and location of fat in the carcass

BACKGROUND

The influence of sex and location of fat in the carcass on the fatty acid profile of Celta pigs was studied. Twenty pigs (10 castrated males and 10 females) from the Carballina line were used.

RESULTS

The fatty acids composition was predominated by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA; approximately 48% of total methyl esters), followed by saturated fatty acids (SFA; approximately 40% of total methyl esters) and, finally, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; approximately 12% of total methyl esters). The sex and location of fat in the carcass showed significant differences in PUFA and SFA content while both factors were not significantly different with respect to MUFA content. Linoleic, linolenic, eicosatrienoic and arachidonic fatty acids showed the largest difference among the three locations (intramuscular, subcutaneous ventral and subcutaneous dorsal) of the fat in the carcass.

CONCLUSION

The fatty acid profile that we observed in the fat of the Celta pigs does not differ greatly from those described by other authors in other autochthonous pig breeds. Principal component analysis offered a good separation of the mean samples according to the sex and location of fat of the pigs.