Effects of Dietary Level of Pantothenic Acid and Sex on Carcass, Meat Quality Traits and Fatty Acid Composition of thigh Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in Italian Heavy Pigs

Pantothenic Acid Alleviates Fat Deposition and Inflammation by Suppressing the JNK/P38 MAPK Signaling Pathway

Excessive fat deposition leads to obesity and cardiovascular diseases with abnormal metabolism. Pantothenic acid (PA) is a major B vitamin required for energy metabolism. However, the effect of PA on lipid metabolism and obesity has not been explored. We investigated the effects and molecular mechanism of PA on fat accumulation as well as the influence of adipogenic marker genes in both adult male mice and primary adipocytes. First, we demonstrated that PA attenuates weight gain in mice fed high-fat diet (HFD). Besides, PA supplementation substantially improved glucose tolerance and lipid metabolic disorder in obese mice. Furthermore, PA significantly inhibited white adipose tissue (WAT) deposition as well as fat droplets visualized by magnification in both chow and HFD group. More importantly, PA obviously suppressed the mRNA levels of CD36, IL-6, and TNF-α to alleviate inflammation and reduced the levels of PPARγ, aP2, and C/EBPα genes that are related to lipid metabolism in inguinal white adipose tissue (ing-WAT) and epididymal white adipose tissue (ei-WAT). In vitro, PA supplementation showed a lower lipid droplet aggregation as well as reduced expression levels of adipogentic genes. Finally, we identified that PA inhibits the phosphorylation levels of p38 and JNK in murine primary adipocytes. Collectively, our data demonstrated for the first time that PA attenuates lipid metabolic disorder as well as fat deposition by JNK/p38 MAPK signaling pathway.

Influence of Slaughter Weight and Sex on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Ham Traits of Heavy Pigs Fed Ad-Libitum

Simple Summary

In recent years, pigs involved in the dry-cured ham production system have suffered from excessive leanness. This has led to the increase of slaughter weight (SW) to achieve greater carcass and ham fatness statuses to compensate for the loss in dry-curing aptitude. The production guidelines for the production of Italian dry-cured ham are currently under revision and an extension of the range of carcass weights from 126 to 168 kg, corresponding to about 146 to 210 kg of SW, has been proposed. However, little is known about the influence of SW in the range of 140–200 kg on growth performance, feed efficiency, carcass quality and ham curing aptitude. We hypothesized that an increased SW could exert a positive influence on ham characteristics. Data from 159 pigs fed ad libitum with diets, unlimiting for nutrient contents, up to 8 or 9 months of age (140–200 kg SW) were used. Greater SWs were linearly and positively associated with the growth performance of the pigs and with better ham quality traits. Greater SW increased ham weight, muscularity, and greater fat covering, according to the dry-cured ham industry’s expectations. Barrows produced hams with greater weight and marbling than gilts.

Abstract

Slaughter weight (SW) is critical for dry-cured ham production systems with heavy pigs. A total of 159 C21 Goland pigs (gilts and barrows) at 95 ± 9.0 kg body weight (BW) from three batches were used to investigate the impact of ad libitum feeding on SW, growth performance, feed efficiency, and carcass and green ham characteristics. Diets contained 10 MJ/kg of net energy and 7.4 and 6.0 g/kg of SID-lysine. Slaughter weight classes (SWC) included <165, 165–180, 180–110 and >210 kg BW. In each batch, pigs were sacrificed at 230 or 258 d of age. Left hams were scored for round shape, fat cover thickness, marbling, lean colour, bicolour and veining. Data were analyzed with a model considering SWC, sex and SWC × Sex interactions as fixed factors and the batch as a random factor. The linear, quadratic and cubic effects of SWC were tested, but only linear effects were found. Results showed that pigs with greater SWC had greater average daily gain and feed consumption, with similar feed efficiency and better ham quality traits: greater ham weight, muscularity, and fat coveringin correspondence of semimembranosus muscle. Barrows were heavier and produced hams with slightly better characteristics than gilts.

Transcriptome profiling of longissimus lumborum in Holstein bulls and steers with different beef qualities

Previous research regarding Holstein cows has mainly focused on increasing milk yield. However, in order to maximize the economical profits of Holstein cattle farming, it is necessary to fully take advantage of Holstein bulls to produce high-grade beef. The present study aims to investigate different transcriptomic profiling of Holstein bulls and steers, via high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq). The growth and beef quality traits of Holstein steers and bulls were characterized via assessment of weight, rib eye area, marbling score, shear force and intramuscular fat percentage of the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle. The results indicated that castration improved the meat quality, yet reduced the meat yield. Subsequently, RNA-seq of the LL muscle from Holstein steers and bulls revealed a total of 56 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). We performed the functional enrichment analysis in Gene Ontology (GO) annotations of the DEGs using GOseq R package software and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis using KOBAS tool. Through the integrated analysis of DEGs with reported QTLs and SNPs, seven promising candidate genes potentially affecting the beef quality of LL muscle following castration were discovered, including muscle structural protein coding genes (MYH1, MYH4, MYH10) and functional protein coding genes (GADL1, CYP2R1, EEPD1, SHISA3). Among them, MYH10, GADL1, CYP2R1, EEPD1 and SHISA3 were novel candidate genes associated with beef quality traits. Notably, EEPD1 was associated with both meat quality and reproduction traits, thus indicating its overlapping role in responding to hormone change, and subsequently inducing beef quality improvement. Our findings provide a complete dataset of gene expression profile of LL in Holstein bulls and steers, and will aid in understanding how castration influence meat yield and quality.

Cottonseed meal fermented by Candida tropical reduces the fat deposition in white-feather broilers through cecum bacteria-host metabolic cross-talk

In the present study, effects of cottonseed meal fermented by Candida tropicalis (FCSM) on fat deposition, cecum microbiota, and metabolites and their interactions were studied in broilers. A total of 180 1-day-old broilers were randomly assigned into two groups with six replicates of 15 birds in each. The birds were offered two diets consisted one control, i.e., supplemented with 0% FCSM (CON) and an experimental, with 6% FCSM (FCSM). Illumina MiSeq sequencing and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry were used to investigate the profile changes of the cecum microbes and metabolites and the interactions among fat deposition, microbes, and metabolites. Results showed that at the age of 21 days, both the abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat thickness of the experimental birds decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in response to the dietary FCSM supplementation. The predominant microbial flora in cecum consisted Bacteroidetes (53.55%), Firmicutes (33.75%), and Proteobacteria (8.61%). FCSM diet increased the relative abundance of Bacteroides but decreased obese microbial including Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, and Anaerofilum. Cecum metabolomics analysis revealed that lipids, organic acids, vitamins, and peptides were significantly altered by adding FCSM in diet. Correlation analysis showed that abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat thickness related negatively with Bacteroides while the same related positively with Faecalibacterium, Lachnospiraceae, and Ruminococcaceae. Moreover, abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat thickness were related negatively with nicotinic acid, sebacic acid, thymidine, and succinic acid. These findings indicated that FCSM reduced the fat deposition by regulating cecum microbiota and metabolites in broilers. The results are contributory to the development of probiotics and the improvement in the production of broilers.

Effects of gender and diet on back fat and loin area ultrasound measurements during the growth and final stage of fattening in Iberian pigs

Abstract. Reared in extensive parcels, 50 castrated or spayed Iberian pigs were fattened with conventional or high-oleic-concentrate diets to evaluate the effect of diet and sex on the measurements of the loin area depth, back fat thickness and its layers during the last 6 months before slaughter at eight time points in two anatomical locations by serial scans. The scan was the factor that had the greatest influence, followed by sex and diet. Back fat thickness at 10th rib level was higher than at 14th rib level. The thickness of the outer, middle and inner layers progressively increased over the study period. Throughout the experimental period, the differences between two successive scans of the M. longissimus area did not differ significantly, obtaining the lowest value at the third scan and the highest at the fifth scan. The ultrasound back fat depth was affected by sex, being greater in females and in animals with a high-oleic diet. Positive significant correlations were observed for measurements assessed. The R2 values for the regression equations to estimate M. longissimus area were lower than the values found for the prediction of fat measurements, and they differed between sex and diet. The relative back fat growth was higher than M. longissimus area, not permitting the establishment of a similar growth pattern for fat and muscle. The sex and diet was taken into account in the predictive models. The subcutaneous adipose layers in Iberian pigs grow at different rates during the last 6 months before slaughter; with the ultrasound serial scan, it is possible to show these changes. The change in diet and the sex affect the adipose tissue development, being more noticeable in the middle layer of back fat at 10th rib level and the inner layer at 14th rib level. However, the sex and the use of an enriched oleic acid diet do not affect to loin development. As the middle layer of back fat shows more growth, this layer could be the best to be included in predictive models. The middle layer of back fat could also be good to be included in predictive models. Back fat thickness at the eighth scan can be predicted with moderate accuracy from corresponding measurements taken 30 days earlier and with less accuracy as the interval between measurements increases.

Association study between single nucleotide polymorphisms in porcine genes and pork quality traits for fresh consumption and processing into Italian dry-cured ham

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of six genes (TTN, PRKAG3, CAST, CTSB, CTSF, and MYPN), known for associations with carcass and meat quality traits, post mortem proteolysis, were screened in a commercial crossed population of 368 heavy pigs (Large White x Landrace)×Duroc, reared according to the rules of Italian Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) dry-cured ham. Carcass, longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle (LTL), and green ham traits were obtained after slaughtering, main weight losses of dry-cured hams were collected during processing. The results showed the impact of CAST variants on carcass weight, of CTSF on LTL tenderness, ham weight and fatness, of PRKAG3 and TTN on ultimate pH, hamweight. This study, while confirming significant associations between SNPs of genes and qualitative traits of carcass, longissimus and ham, supports CTSF as candidate gene suitable for fresh consumption purpose (tenderness of longissimus at 24h post mortem), and for dry-cured ham processing (higher thickness of ham subcutaneous fat).

Effect of progressive reduction in crude protein and lysine of heavy pigs diets on some technological properties of green hams destined for PDO dry-cured ham production

In order to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and lysine (Lys) content on some technological properties of green hams destined for Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) dry-cured ham, green hams visual appraisal scores, thickness, iodine number and fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat, and ham weight losses during seasoning (SL) were assessed. The green hams were obtained from 233 pigs fed four diets containing 140 to 110g/kg CP and 6.5 to 5.3g/kg total Lys from 90 to 165kg body weight. A reduction in dietary CP and Lys of up to 20% compared with conventional feeds led to a 15% increase in the thickness of the subcutaneous fat, a 5% decrease in linoleic and polyunsaturated fatty acids in subcutaneous fat and a 7% decrease in SL. A 20% reduction of CP and Lys in diets for finishing pigs has positive effects on the technological properties of green hams destined for PDO dry-cured ham production.