Abstract
The present study evaluated the effects of betaine addition in sow and piglet's diets on growth performance, plasma hormone, and lipid metabolism of Bama mini-pigs. A total of 26 pregnant Bama mini-pigs and 104 weaned piglets were selected and divided into different dietary treatment groups (details in “Materials and Methods”). Blood and muscle samples were collected at 65-, 95-, and 125-day-old, respectively. The results showed that betaine addition in sow-offspring diets increased (P < 0.05) the body weight at 125-day-old, average daily gain from 35- to 65-day-old, and average daily feed intake at 35–65 and 35–95 days old of pigs compared with the control group. Betaine addition in sow-offspring diets increased (P < 0.05) the plasma gastrin level at 95-day-old, while betaine addition in sow diets decreased (P < 0.05) the plasma peptide YY and leptin levels at 65-day-old pigs. In the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs, betaine addition in sow and sow-offspring diets increased (P < 0.05) the C12:0 content at 65-day-old while decreased at 95-day-old. Moreover, betaine addition in sow-offspring diets increased the C24:0 content and decreased the C18:1n9t content at 125-day-old (P < 0.05). In the biceps femoris muscle, the contents of C12:0 at 65-day-old and C20:4n6 at 125-day-old were decreased (P < 0.05) after the betaine addition in both sow and piglet's diets. In addition, betaine addition in sow diets decreased (P < 0.05) the C20:0 content at 125-day-old, while betaine addition in sow-offspring diets increased the C18:3n6 and decreased C24:0 contents at 65-day-old pigs (P < 0.05). In the psoas major muscle, betaine addition in sow and sow-offspring diets decreased (P < 0.05) the contents of C18:1n9t at 65-day-old and C20:1 at 95-day-old, while betaine addition in sow diets decreased (P < 0.05) the intramuscular fat content at 125-day-old. Moreover, betaine addition in sow-offspring diets was also associated with muscle lipid deposition and metabolisms by regulating the gene expressions related to fatty acid metabolism. These findings suggested that betaine addition in sow-offspring diets could improve the growth performance, whereas betaine addition in both sow and sow-offspring diets could enhance lipid quality by altering plasma hormone level and fatty acid composition and regulating the gene expressions related to fatty acid metabolism.
Highlights
Intramuscular fat (IMF) plays an important role in various aspects of meat quality, and it is critical for the nutritional value of meat [1]
The average daily gain (ADG) was increased (P < 0.05) in the sow-offspring betaine group from 35to 95-day-old compared with the sow betaine group
Previous studies have found that dietary betaine addition during the growing and finishing stages improved the growth performance and meat quality of animals [21, 22]
Summary
Intramuscular fat (IMF) plays an important role in various aspects of meat quality, and it is critical for the nutritional value of meat [1]. Higher content of IMF can increase the meat quality as it contributes to pork tenderness, flavor, and juiciness [2]. Muscle fatty acid profiles play a key role in meat quality because of their high value for human health. A recent study has reported that changes in fatty acid composition due to different feeding strategies are associated with the changes in the mRNA expression of genes related to fatty acid metabolism [5]. The regulation of IMF content and fatty acid composition in muscles has been of great interest in recent years. Owing to the ban on in-feed antibiotics in the livestock industry, a number of alternative feed additives with similar effects to in-feed antibiotics in livestock production have attracted increased attention
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