Pig Feeding under the Potato-green Forage Base System with or without Addition of Herbs versus a Concentrate Based System: Effect on Post-slaughter Performance and Pork Characteristics

Husbandry practices associated with extensification in European pig production and their effects on pork quality

This review has been developed as part of the mEATquality project with the main objective to examine the types of extensification practices used in European pig husbandry and their effect on intrinsic meat quality. Literature search has resulted in 679 references in total, from which 53 showed a strict compliance with the goals of this review: 1) the use of local European breeds and their crossbreds (22 papers); 2) addition of forage to diet (9 papers); 3) increased space allowance (3 papers); 4) enrichment of environment (19 papers). The evaluation of selected extensification factors showed that not all of them have a clear impact on meat quality, and are often confounded. The most clear differences were observed when comparing autochthonous with commercial breeds, and systems with access to pastures or woodlands vs. indoor housing. Despite many studies focusing on the extensification of husbandry practices, some of the factors cannot be confirmed to have a direct effect on pork intrinsic quality.

Pork Quality Traits According to Postmortem pH and Temperature in Berkshire

This study was performed to investigate the role of pH and temperature postmortem, and to demonstrate the importance of these factors in determining meat quality. Postmortem pH 45min (pH at 45 min postmortem or initial pH) via analysis of Pearson's correlation showed high positive correlation with pH change pH c24 (pH change from pH 45min to pH 24h postmortem). However, postmortem pH after 24 h (pH 24h or ultimate pH) had a high negative correlation with pH change, pH c24 , CIE L*, and protein content. Initial temperature postmortem (T 1h ) was positively associated with a change in temperature from 45 min to 24 h postmortem (T c24 ) and cooking loss, but negatively correlated with water holding capacity. Temperature at 24 h postmortem (T 24h ) was negatively associated with T c24 . Collectively, these results indicate that higher initial pH was associated with higher pH c24 , T 1h , and T c24 . However, higher initial pH was associated with a reduction in carcass weight, backfat thickness, CIE a* and b*, water holding capacity, collagen and fat content, drip loss, and cooking loss as well as decreased shear force. In contrast, CIE a* and b*, drip loss, cooking loss, and shear force in higher ultimate pH was showed by a similar pattern to higher initial pH, whereas pH c24 , carcass weight, backfat thickness, water holding capacity, fat content, moisture content, protein content, T 1h , T 24h , and T c24 were exhibited by completely differential patterns (p<0.05). Therefore, we suggest that initial pH, ultimate pH, and temperatures postmortem are important factors in determining the meat quality of pork.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis of longissimus muscle from growing pigs with dietary supplementation of non-starch polysaccharide enzymes

Non-starch polysaccharide enzymes (NSPEs) have long been used in the feed production of monogastric animals to degrade non-starch polysaccharide to oligosaccharides and promote growth performance. However, few studies have been conducted on the effect of such enzymes on skeletal muscle in monogastric animals. To elucidate the mechanism of the effect of NSPEs on skeletal muscle, an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) for differential proteomic quantitation was applied to investigate alterations in the proteome in the longissimus muscle (LM) of growing pigs after a 50-d period of supplementation with 0.6% NSPEs in the diet. A total of 51 proteins were found to be differentially expressed in the LM between a control group and the NSPE group. Functional analysis of the differentially expressed protein species showed an increased abundance of proteins related to energy production, protein synthesis, muscular differentiation, immunity, oxidation resistance and detoxification, and a decreased abundance of proteins related to inflammation in the LM of the pigs fed NSPEs. These findings have important implications for understanding the mechanisms whereby dietary supplementation with NSPEs enzymes can promote growth performance and improve muscular metabolism in growing pigs.