PORK QUALITY AND GENETIC ASSOCIATION STUDY OF PORCINE LEPTIN AND CATHEPSIN F GENE POLYMORPHISMS

Abstract

This study aims to assess the quality of raw pork intended for further processing, and also to analyse associations of genotypes, determined by single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in leptin (LEP g.2845 A > T) and cathepsin (CTSF g.22 C ≤ G ) genes, with meat and fat quality traits.
 Meat and fat products as raw materials for further processing, produced from pigs of French origin bred on the pig farm “Artsyz Meat Company Ltd” located in Artsyz district of Odesa region, are considered as the object of this study. The total number of pigs used to perform DNA analysis is 350 heads. DNA tests and physicochemical analyses of meat and fat products were conducted at the research laboratory of the Institute of Pig Breeding and Agricultural Production of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine in Poltava. Genomic DNA was extracted from pig bristle using the Chelex 100 ion exchange resin. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used for genotyping. Fattening pigs were assessed for leptin (LEP g.2845) and cathepsin F (CTSF g.22) genes. Upon the young stock’s reaching the target live weight of 100 kg, 60 pigs in each group genotyped for the target genes were slaughtered using conventional methods. The results of genetic tests and association studies performed have shown that leptin and cathepsin F gene polymorphisms produce an effect on particular pork and backfat quality attributes.
 Statistically significant associations of the genetic marker LEP SNP g.2845 A > T with the investigated quality attributes of meat and fat products, in particular water-holding capacity, meat tenderness, intramuscular fat content, backfat moisture content and melting point, have been detected. Meanwhile, the genetic marker CTSF SNP g.22 C ≤ G is found to be associated with such pork quality attributes as water-holding capacity, tenderness, weight loss during thermal processing (cooking loss), intramuscular fat content, calcium and phosphorus levels, and energy value.