Meat Quality and Fatty Acid Profiles of Chinese Ningxiang Pigs Following Supplementation with N-Carbamylglutamate.

Yueteng Xing,Chunyan Xie,Xin Wu,Dingfu Xiao,Bin Zhang

doi:10.3390/ani10010088

Abstract

Simple SummaryN-carbamylglutamate (NCG) has been demonstrated to promote the synthesis of endogenous arginine and improve reproductive performance. In the present study, we found that dietary NCG supplementation improved meat quality of a Chinese fat-type pig by increasing muscle tenderness and Phe concentration, and optimizing fatty acid profiles in different tissues. These results provided scientific evidence for the application of NCG as a feed additive in finishing pigs.The present study evaluated the effects of dietary N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) on carcass traits, meat quality, and fatty acid profiles in the longissimus dorsi muscle and adipose tissues of Chinese Ningxiang pigs. A total of 36 castrated female pigs with a similar initial weight (43.21 ± 0.57 kg) were randomly assigned to two treatments (with six pens per treatment and three pigs per pen) and fed either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 0.08% NCG for 56 days. Results showed that dietary NCG reduced shear force (p = 0.004) and increased drip loss (p = 0.044) in longissimus dorsi muscle of Ningxiang pigs. Moreover, increased levels of oleic acid (C18:1n9c) (p = 0.009), paullinic acid (C20:1) (p = 0.004), and α-linolenic acid (C18:3n3) (p < 0.001), while significant reduction in the proportions of arachidonic acid (C20:4n6) (p < 0.001) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (p = 0.017) were observed in the longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs fed NCG when compared with those fed the control diet. As for adipose tissues, the C20:1 (p = 0.045) proportion in dorsal subcutaneous adipose (DSA), as well as the stearic acid (C18:0) (p = 0.018) level in perirenal adipose (PA) were decreased when pigs were fed the NCG diet compared with those of the control diet. In contrast, the margaric acid (C17:0) (p = 0.043) proportion in PA were increased. Moreover, the NCG diet produced PA with a greater proportion of total PUFAs (p = 0.001) (particularly linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) (p = 0.001)) compared with those produced by the control diet. These findings suggest that dietary NCG has beneficial effects by decreasing the shear force and improving the healthfulness of fatty acid profiles, providing a novel strategy for enhancing meat quality of pigs.

Highlights

For the pork industry, fat and fatty acids contribute importantly to various aspects of meat quality and are central to nutritional value [1].fat-type pigs exhibiting excessive amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissues have been recognized as detrimental to carcass quality [2]
Drip loss was significantly increased by 30.32% (p = 0.044), while shear force was significantly decreased by 29.51%
The NCG diet produced these adipose tissues with a greater proportion of total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (p < 0.1) ( linoleic acid (C18:2n6c) (p < 0.1)) compared with those produced by the control diet

Summary

Introduction

Fat and fatty acids (whether in muscle or adipose tissues) contribute importantly to various aspects of meat quality (e.g., flavor, taste) and are central to nutritional value [1]. Fat-type pigs exhibiting excessive amounts of subcutaneous adipose tissues have been recognized as detrimental to carcass quality [2]. Increasing attention is mainly focused on safer, healthier, and taster of meat. The use of nutritional approaches to optimize meat fatty acid composition has been a popular research topic, for example, supplying specific additives in diets such as linseeds, plant extracts [4,5]. The application of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) as a dietary supplement for the health of humans and animals has gained increasing interest [6,7,8]

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