Abstract
Twenty-four extensively reared Iberian pigs were used to study the influence of fattening period length (30, 60 or 90 days) on the fatty acid profiles of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat and the relationships between both profiles. Regarding fatty acid (FA) percentage, PUFA was greater in backfat and MUFA was greater in intramuscular fat (IMF), regardless of fattening period length. The longer fattening period increased MUFA content in backfat (which had a more marked change in oleic acid) and decreased PUFA content in backfat and IMF, but it did not affect SFA content. Within the three-layer subcutaneous backfat, SFA content was greater in the inner layer, MUFA was greater in the outer layer and PUFA was greater in both of these layers. The few differences in FA composition between both adipose tissues suggest that the changes due to the feeding regime are slow and, therefore, although the length of the fattening phase was increased, the fatty acid profile did not change substantially. The strong relationship between the FA profiles of IMF and backfat might be used to predict one profile from the other one when the latter is more readily available for sampling or analytical reasons.
Highlights
Consumers nowadays demand high quality products with a particular taste or specific health-related properties, in which the fat content and fatty acid (FA) profile are important factors
The dressing-out increased significantly (p < 0.05) with the duration of the fattening period (75.9% and 85.6% at 30 and 90 days on “montanera,” respectively), mainly due to increased fat deposition, as it was shown by the significant increase in both intramuscular fat (IMF) content (229%) and subcutaneous fat thickness (170%) between M30 and M90 groups, while the weight and area of the loin remained practically unchanged as carcass weight increased with the fattening period length
The middle and inner subcutaneous adipose layers change in their relative contribution to total backfat thickness, and the middle layer shows the greatest increase in thickness per body weight (BW) unit [21]
Summary
Consumers nowadays demand high quality products with a particular taste or specific health-related properties, in which the fat content and fatty acid (FA) profile are important factors. The Iberian pig breed is an autochthonous porcine breed raised traditionally in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula linked to the “dehesa” [1] Its products, especially those derived from animals fattened under extensive, free-range conditions, feeding on acorns and grass in a silvopastoral system known as “montanera” from early November to late February [1], comply with these requirements [2] and their high content of oleic acid makes it healthier than other animal products [3]. Several factors can influence the lipid composition of pork, but it has been proven that the breed and the type of diet ingested by the pig at the end of the fattening period are the main factors [5,6]
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