Characterization of indigenous pigs in Southwestern Nigeria using blood protein polymorphisms

Abstract

The Nigerian indigenous pigs (NIP) are threatened to lose their genetic diversity through unsustainable farming practices in Nigeria. Therefore, the genetic relationships of NIP and commercially developed cross-bred pigs were evaluated to pinpoint a possible source of pure uncontaminated genetic stocks of NIP for conservation. Blood protein polymorphisms were used as a preliminary genetic analysis of blood samples from a total of 120 pigs (79 NIP from three separate locations and 41 cross-bred pigs). Nineteen polymorphic bands of the blood proteins globulin, transferrin and albumin were observed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and a phylogenetic dendrogram was developed to analyse the genetic relationship between the NIPs. The three NIPs were found to have a high genetic similarity (84 percent similarity coefficient), and were found to be distinctly different from the commercially cross-bred strains. One line from a farm in Ogbooro, Saki Oyo, Nigeria was identified as a relatively stable genetic resource that may be a suitable NIP for future conservation efforts.