Abstract
Forty-two pigs, entire males, surgical castrates and gilts, was randomly selected for the experiment. After reaching the average live weight of 105 kg, pigs were slaughtered. Significant differences (P <0.05) in contents of water and crude fat in muscle between entire males and castrates (74.44 vs 73.93%, 2.52 vs 3.14%), resp. of cholesterol between entire males, gilts and castrates (0.31, 0.33 vs 0.41%) were found. Significantly higher contents (P <0.05) of almost the all amino acids in entire males and gilts compared to castrates were observed. In muscle, castrates had more eicosanoic fatty acid than entire males, and vaccenic than gilts whilst gilts and entire males had higher content of linolenic acid than castrates (P <0.05). In adipose tissue, entire males had lower content (P <0.05) of myristic, stearic, palmitic, and total saturated fatty acids than castrates or both castrates and gilts (1.39 vs 1.45%, 14.88 vs 16.90%, 25.41 vs 26.83 and 26.27%, 43.40 vs 46.70 and 45.53%). At the same time, they showed greater amounts of oleic (36.71 vs 34.95%), total monounsaturated (43.58 vs 41.35%), linoleic (10.29 vs 9.45 and 9.56%), linolenic (0.65 vs 0.59%), total polyunsaturated (12.06 vs 11.06%), n-6 (10.69 vs 9.83%) and n-3 (0.78 vs 0.71 and 0.72%) fatty acids than castrates or both castrates and gilts. Also, PUFA/SFA ratio was more desirable in entire males than those of castrates and/or gilts (0.28 vs 0.24 and 0.25). Based on these results, meat and adipose fat from entire males seems to be more beneficial from the human health point of view.
Highlights
At present, a production of high quality meat including pig meat is in the spotlight of pork producers and meat processors since consumers have been becoming more demanding on quality of meat and meat products
Avoiding castration related in considerable changes in fatty acid profile of fat tissue of entire males compared to castrates
More monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-6 and n-3 fatty acids as well as better PUFA/ SFA ratio were found in entire males
Summary
A production of high quality meat including pig meat is in the spotlight of pork producers and meat processors since consumers have been becoming more demanding on quality of meat and meat products. Growth performance and carcass value of pigs are the aims of modern pig production, and meat quality parameters including quality of fat tissue. It is widely known that castration prevents the expression of boar taint in pork (Font i Furnols et al, 2003; Bonneau and Squires, 2004) but presently it has became the subject of heavy criticism from the animal welfare point of view. One alternative to surgical castration that has a chance to be widely used in practice is entire males rearing. Apart from the problem of boar taint, a very little research has been conducted on the quality of amino acid and fatty acid composition of pork from entire males. Total intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition affect the eating quality traits such as tenderness,
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