Animal Production Industry Research Articles

Lactic Bacterium and Bacillus Sp. Biofilms Can Decrease the Viability of Salmonella Gallinarum, Salmonella Heidelberg, Campylobacter Jejuni and Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus on Different Substrates

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of biofilms formed by lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus sp. (BLA) in preventing and controlling the formation of wild biofilms and/or planktonic forms of Salmonella Gallinarum (SG), Salmonella Heidelberg (SH), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on different surfaces. The SH and SG viability was evaluated in polystyrene plates, wood shavings, and soil samples. Two protocols were developed to examine the use of BLA in a preventive and control application. For analysis of Campylobacter jejuni (CJ) BLA was used only preventively in a polystyrene plate. Results showed that BLA was effective in preventing the growth of SG and SH in all matrices. The effectiveness of BLA for MRSA was lower than for SG and SH. The efficiency of BLA in preventing CJ growth seems to be related to the initial CJ contamination. BLA proves to be a potential alternative to control food-borne pathogens commonly encountered in animal production and food industry.

Insecticide Resistance Development in the Filth Fly Pupal Parasitoid, Spalangia cameroni (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae), Using Laboratory Selections.

Filth flies remain one of the most prevalent pest groups affecting the animal production industry. Spalangia spp. and Muscidifurax spp. are beneficial parasitic wasps that often are utilized to manage filth fly populations such as house flies, Musca domestica L. (Diptera: Muscidae), and stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans (L.) (Diptera: Muscidae). These wasps search for filth fly pupae as hosts in areas potentially treated with insecticides, which may result in nontarget insecticide selection effects. However, research regarding resistance development in parasitic wasps such as S. cameroni Perkins (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) is limited. Therefore, a study was conducted to determine the potential of S. cameroni to develop resistance to the commonly used insecticide permethrin, as well as compare permethrin susceptibility among several S. cameroni strains. After 10 selected generations, susceptibility was significantly lower for the selected strain when compared with that of its unselected parent strain. A comparison of several parasitoid strains collected from different U.S. states indicated that permethrin susceptibility was not significantly different between a baseline strain and more recently established field strains. The potential implications of this previously unrecognized nontarget insecticide exposure effect on filth fly parasitoids are discussed.

Influence of sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation on post necrotic enteritis challenge recovery

In the animal production industry, plant-derived antimicrobial phytobiotics are used as an alternative to antibiotics. Here we investigated the role sanguinarine-based phytobiotic in broiler recovery from Necrotic Enteritis (NE) infection. A total of 100 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to four treatments: negative control CTR (no challenge, no phytobiotic supplementation); positive control NE (NE challenged); phytobiotic SG (sanguinarine phytobiotic, 0.12 g/kg); and SG + NE, (sanguinarine phytobiotic, 0.12 g/kg and NE challenge). Sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation caused significant changes between the groups in performance, livability and histological measurements, however, these changes were not significantly different between SG + NE and NE groups. Significant improvement was detected in NE lesion score of the duodenum and ileum of SG + NE birds compared to NE challenged birds at the end of the production cycle at 40 days old, indicating improved post-NE recovery with the addition of phytobiotic. Sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation in NE challenged birds significantly compensated for a NE associated reduction of Firmicutes and an increase in Bacteroidetes. Functional profile of sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplemented birds microbiota was distinct from CTR functional profile. NE challenge was associated with a significant increase in cecal propionic acid, while sanguinarine-based phytobiotic supplementation resulted in an increase in cecal acetic acid.

Toxicity of fluralaner, a companion animal insecticide, relative to industry-leading agricultural insecticides against resistant and susceptible strains of filth flies

Filth flies cause billions of dollars of losses annually to the animal production industry. Fluralaner is a relatively new pesticide currently sold for control of fleas, ticks, and mites on companion animals and poultry. We examined the efficacy of fluralaner against three species of filth flies. Insecticide-susceptible horn flies and stable flies were tested topically. Fluralaner outperformed permethrin by > 2-fold for the horn flies but underperformed permethrin by > 45-fold for stable flies at 24 h. House flies were tested topically with fluralaner in comparison to permethrin at 48 h and orally with fluralaner in comparison to imidacloprid at 24 h. Topical fluralaner was 6- to 28-fold as toxic as permethrin in four pyrethroid-resistant strains and not significantly less toxic than permethrin in a susceptible strain and a mildly pyrethroid-resistant strain. There was slight cross-resistance between topically applied fluralaner and permethrin in all five insecticide-resistant strains tested. Oral fluralaner was more toxic than imidacloprid in all four house fly strains tested, 9- to 118-fold as toxic. Oral cross-resistance between imidacloprid and fluralaner was not detected, but imidacloprid resistance was not high in any of the tested strains. Fluralaner shows promise for control of horn flies and house flies.

Faecal microbiota transplantation: is it the future for pig production?

Piglet mortality is a major issue for the pork industry globally and until recently, the main method for improving growth performance and reducing disease in commercial practice is centred on anti-microbial use. Antibiotic resistance is a global concern and, as such, animal production industries are seeking alternatives to antibiotics. Different approaches under investigation include but are not limited to management of the intestinal microbial environment. The gastrointestinal microbiota is involved in a myriad of processes that impact host health and well-being. Recently, interest in maintaining a healthy microbiome in order to improve herd health is increasing. In this article, we focus on faecal microbiota transplantation as a method for manipulating and improving the gastrointestinal microbiota in pigs in order to improve health and performance.

Impacts of saline water stress on livestock production: A review

Limited freshwater resources and climatic change are major challenge face animal production industry, especially in the arid and semiarid regions. Climate changes are reflected in global warming and rainfall reduction, which in turn may increase the salinity of both soil and water. Within the reclamation strategy, groundwater will be the main source of used water in cultivated desert lands in Egypt. However, the groundwater has high salinity and the cost of desalination is expensive. This review gives an overview of the impact of using saline water as an alternative source of fresh water to avoid water scarcity effect on the performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of farm animals. The ability of animals to tolerate saline water depends on the animal species, salinity level and the type of salt minerals in water. Some studies indicated that the animals' performance improved in low levels of salinity, but the performance decreased when the salinity levels was increased. In conclusion, this study implies that the saline water containing high concentrations of minerals mainly sodium chloride can largely affect the livestock productive aspects.

Chemical treatment of poultry litter affects the conjugation of plasmid-mediated extended-spectrum beta-lactamase resistance genes in E. coli

There is a general consensus among healthcare leaders that animal production industries should improve practices aiming to mitigate antimicrobial resistance, a significant global threat to public health. However, the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance in animal production systems is very complex as a result of innumerous sources and dissemination routes of resistant bacteria. Furthermore, antimicrobial resistance can be transferred among bacteria by mobile elements, such as plasmids, which play a major role in the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. In broiler production, litter contaminated by feces during the production cycle can serve as a potential reservoir for bacteria harboring antimicrobial resistance genes that can then be disseminated to susceptible bacteria. This study reports the effect of 1) different materials used as litter and 2) different litter recycling protocols on the conjugation frequencies of IncIII plasmids harboring extended-spectrum beta-lactamase–resistant genes among Escherichia coli isolates . Results found that, compared with cane bagasse litter, the use of wood shavings as litter decreased the conjugation frequency among E. coli isolates ( P < 0.001). In regard to the recycling protocols, the presence of chemical residues in both types of litter materials was associated with a decreased conjugation frequency, with lowest frequencies observed for quicklime and superphosphate. Our findings suggest that the type of material used as poultry litter as well as litter recycling procedures, distinguished by means of chemical compounds, may affect plasmid conjugation among E. coli isolates.

PSIX-31 The mineral profile of GuarPro F-81, a potential protein source for swine and other livestock in the United States

Abstract High feed cost is a major economic concern in animal production industries, largely due to the increasing global demands for foods, feeds, and biofuels. Animal producers, especially animal nutritionists, have been searching for alternative feedstuffs to reduce the feed cost. Guar meal is the main by-product from the guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoba L.) gum industry. Although said to be unpalatable and maybe toxic, the new guar meal products, such as GuarPro F-81, possess promise to be alternatives for feeding animals, mainly because they contain great amounts of protein and carbohydrates and are inexpensive. The proximate nutrient values and amino acid profile of GuarPro F-81 have been previously reported, and this study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the mineral contents of GuarPro F-81 are comparable to that of soybean meal. Three GuarPro F-81 samples were randomly collected from a guar meal production company in India and aliquoted to 30 to 100 g/sample after arrival for analysis in four university and commercial laboratories. The results showed that GuarPro F-81 contained (as-fed basis; mean ± SD, n = 4) 0.22 ± 0.015% calcium, 0.77 ± 0.022% phosphorus, 0.40 ± 0.023% magnesium, 1.67 ± 0.079% potassium, 0.016 ± 0.012% sodium, 249 ± 42.8 ppm iron, 21.3 ± 1.78 ppm manganese, 72.8 ± 9.00 ppm zinc, and 11.5 ± 7.25 ppm copper. The sulfur content was 0.54 ± 0.177% (n = 2) and the nickel content was 5.30% (n = 1). When compared with soybean meal (dehulled, solvent extracted), the contents of iron, magnesium, zinc, sulfur, and phosphorus in GuarPro F-81 are approximately 154, 50, 49, 34, and 8% greater, respectively, while the contents of copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, and sodium are approximately 24, 25, 34, 40, and 80% less, respectively. Nonetheless, the bioavailabilities of these minerals warrant further investigation.

Oregano: A potential prophylactic treatment for the intestinal microbiota

Prophylactic use of antibiotics in poultry diets has been identified as a problematic practice because of its potential to exacerbate the spread of antibiotic resistance to human pathogens. A range of countries have opted to completely ban the use of antibiotics in animal feed. The animal production industries are looking for alternative ways to effectively control pathogens while providing the performance benefits previously secured by antibiotics in feed. Here, we present evidence that oregano (Origanum vulgare) could be a potential alternative for pathogen control in the poultry industry. Broiler diets were supplemented with oregano powder (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%) for six weeks. The capacity for pathogen control was estimated by microbiota profiling of the jejunum, ileum, and caecum content, and in the faeces, by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The concentrations of short-chain fatty acids in the caecal content were also measured, as were villus/crypt parameters in the ileum. There were no differences among treatments in weight gain, feed intake, or the concentration of short-chain fatty acids. The height, width, and the surface area of villi in the ileum were not influenced by oregano addition. However, 1% and 2% of oregano produced a significant increase in the villus height to crypt depth ratio. There were no visible histopathological changes in the liver in control and treated groups. Although oregano had no significant effect on overall microbial diversity and gross composition, some specific genera, like Proteus, Klebsiella and Staphylococcus, which include known pathogens, were reduced in relative abundance by oregano treatment. Bifidobacterium, recognized as a beneficial and probiotic genus, was also suppressed by the oregano treatment.

Restoring nutrient circularity: A review of nutrient stock and flow analyses of local agro-food-waste systems

To reduce environmental issues resulting from excess nutrients, conserve valuable resources and safeguard future food security, natural nutrient cycles in agro-food-waste systems need to be restored. To this end, nutrient stock and flow analyses of the agro-food-waste system can be undertaken. There is currently no standardized method for the systematic analysis of nutrient stocks and flows to support nutrient circularity of those systems at a local scale. This review of 57 studies summarizes the current knowledge on nutrient stock and flow analysis of agro-food-waste systems in local areas and proposes a six-step framework. About a third of the reviewed studies analyzed the complete agro-food-waste system, including crop production, animal production, food and feed processing industry, consumption and waste management. Furthermore, the main focus tends to be on phosphorus (P), and to a lesser extent on nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and (organic) carbon (C). Only a few studies combined the analyses of different nutrients, even though nutrient use efficiency relies on obtaining the optimal stoichiometric balance. The proposed framework for nutrient stock and flow analyses encompasses the inclusion of the complete agro-food-waste system and simultaneous analysis of N, P, K and C to facilitate assessment of the full potential to restore local nutrient circularity. Moreover, the local study area needs to be sufficiently large to include all the subsystems and sufficiently small to facilitate transportation of nutrients. Following this six-step framework, analyses will be able to identify hotspots, based on which effective measures to restore local nutrient circularity can be developed.

How Farm Animal Welfare Issues are Framed in the Australian Media

Topics related to ethical issues in agricultural production, particularly farm animal welfare, are increasingly featured in mainstream news media. Media representations of farm animal welfare issues are important because the media is a significant source of information, but also because the way that the issues are represented, or framed, defines these issues in particular ways, suggests causes or solutions, and provides moral evaluations. As such, analysis of media frames can reveal how issues are being made public and identify the cues that audiences are given to help them make sense of complex ethical issues. Previous research on media frames and animal welfare has tended to focus on single issues or events; however we sought to identify whether media frames extended across different farm animal welfare-related issues to investigate whether there is any commonality between issues. We analysed articles published in the mainstream press in Australia between 2014 and 2016 related to farm animal welfare, and identified two dominant frames: that governments and the farm animal production industries cannot be trusted to ensure good farm animal welfare; and that consumers can act to improve animal welfare through ethical consumption. These frames have implications for how the Australian public interpret and understand the roles and responsibilities of different actors in the food production system. This research also contributes to discussion about the role of the media in shaping public opinion about ethical issues in agriculture and how, in turn, the media landscape itself is being shaped by consumer attitudes.

Life-History Traits of the Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), Reared on Three Manure Types.

Simple SummaryThe growing global human population raises concern about future food security. Such growth may lead to an increase in animal production, which raises concern about waste management. Rearing insects on animal manure could be an efficient solution to manage animal waste; but a better understanding of bioconversion of different manure types by targeted insects is necessary in order to develop such systems. Black soldier fly larvae are voracious feeders that are capable of digesting a wide range of organic material, including manure. Previous research has demonstrated that black soldier flies can convert manure into valuable biomass (i.e., aquaculture and poultry feed) while reducing nutrients and dry matter by 50% or more, and odorous volatile compounds by up to 100%. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of select life-history traits of black soldier fly larvae fed three types of manure (poultry, swine, and bovine). The results may supplement existing data or give new perspective on how this insect may be used for waste management while producing an alternative feed.Structural changes and growth of animal production systems have resulted in greater volumes of manure. Current manure storage methods pose a potential environmental threat. Lessening these issues is a key concern for the animal production industry. The primary aim of this research was to evaluate black soldier fly (BSF) performance when fed poultry, swine, or dairy manure at different rates (18 or 27 g/2 d until 40% prepupation). The results indicated that larvae fed with the control diet (Gainesville diet) were the heaviest (+31–70%); however, for other life-history traits, those fed the higher feed rate of poultry manure produced comparable results to the control. Larvae fed more resource, regardless of manure type, weighed more as larvae (+3–9%), pupae (+22–48%), and adults (+18–42%), developed faster (up to 3–4 d), had a higher percentage reach the prepupal stage (+2–16%), lived longer as adults (+1 d), and converted more resource to biomass (up to 1% more) than those fed at the lower rate. Yet, no difference was detected in dry matter (DM) reduction across feed rate for a given manure type. Based on these results, all three manure types can be digested by black soldier fly larvae, thus demonstrating their potential for waste management.

Investigation and Characterization of Myroides odoratimimus Strain 3J2MO Aflatoxin B1 Degradation.

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), is a type I carcinogen that is one of the strongest naturally occurring aflatoxins and can be injurious to humans and livestock upon ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact, with carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. It causes significant hazardous effects to the food- and animal-production industries. We found a bacterial strain, 3J2MO, that degraded AFB1 well, and here we tested and characterized its AFB1-degradation ability. The strain degraded about 93.82% of the AFB1 after incubation for 48 h in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium at 37 °C with a final concentration of 100 ppb and an inoculation quantity of 1 × 107 cfu/mL. High-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) was used to determine AFB1 amounts. The maximum degradation rates were 89.23% at pH 8.5; 55.78% at an inoculation quantity of 1 × 108 cfu/mL; and 71.50 and 71.21% at 34 and 37 °C, respectively. Treatment with sucrose and soluble starch as carbon sources and beef extract and ammonium acetate as nitrogen sources stimulated the degradation rate. Mg2+ and Ca2+ ions were activators for AFB1 degradation; however, Mn2+, Fe3+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ were strong inhibitors. This bacterial strain has potential in bioremediation and the detoxification of aflatoxin contamination for biocontrol strategies in both agricultural products and food-industry matrices.

Intracellular effect of β3-adrenoceptor agonist Carazolol on skeletal muscle, a direct interaction with SERCA

Carazolol (CZL) is a known agonist of β3 and antagonist of β1 and β2 adrenoceptors (AR), used in the animal production industry to improve meat quality by reducing animal stress and skeletal muscle (SM) proteolysis. Here we sought to better understand the direct effect CZL has on SM. We study CZL effect on calcium (Ca2+) regulation by enzymatic activity kinetics of the Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA), in isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) from SM and on the mechanical properties of isolated muscle. In isolated SR from SM previously incubated with 0.03 mM CZL, but absent during SR isolation and during SERCA activity determination, the activity was reduced by 45%. Thermal analysis of SERCA activity with CZL shifted the transition temperature of inactivation (Ti) from Ti = 47 to 44 °C. When isolated SR from fast and slow SM was exposed to CZL, inhibition of SERCA occurred in a dose dependent manner. Slow and fast SM Ti of SERCA shifted to a lower temperature in the presence of CZL and a second transition appears at temperatures <40 °C. In isolated extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles, CZL reduces the contraction force and increases susceptibility to fatigue. However, recovery force after fatigue in either muscle was higher. Our results suggest that Carazolol penetrates the plasma membrane and interacts with SERCA, thus having an important effect on skeletal muscle function. The inhibition of SERCA may lead to a decrement in SR Ca2+-release promoting further failure in muscle contraction.

521 Farm animal welfare: Maintaining public trust and social acceptability.

Animal welfare is emerging as a key area of social concern in agriculture, such that we see increased public interest in how animals are housed and cared for on farms. Those working within agriculture sometimes believe that these concerns are mostly or entirely rooted in public ignorance of the practices, motivations and constraints faced by farmers, and thus believe that criticisms can be addressed through better public education. However, an ever-decreasing proportion of society works within the animal industries and it seems unlikely that efforts to ‘educate’ the public on these issues will often be successful. Moreover, the famers themselves are part of the rapid changes in societal views, and practices that were accepted by past generations may seem out of step for the next generation. To be sustainable in the long term the inclusion of societal input is needed for food animal production industries to retain their social license to operate. During this talk we highlight some of the contentious issues within the farm animal industries that are at risk of being out of step with societal values and possible solutions that may help pave the way forward in how we care and house farm animals.

Comparing Pharmacological and Bioelectronic Approaches for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Disorders

Professor John Furness speaks to Alice Bough, Commissioning Editor. Professor John Furness leads the Digestive Physiology and Nutrition Laboratory at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health and the University of Melbourne, where he has appointments in the Medical and Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences Faculties. His laboratory has worked for many years on the physiology of digestion, particularly its neuronal and endocrine control. A current emphasis of his work is on the relationships between diet, environment and gut health, and their implications for animal production and for human wellbeing. He is also investigating therapies for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and the roles of gut hormones. He has worked closely with the pharmaceutical, medical devices and animal production industries. He is one of the most highly cited Australian scientists. Google Scholar (January 2019) gives his h-index as 107, including 40,400 citations overall.

Transcriptome analysis of adipose tissue from pigs divergent in feed efficiency reveals alteration in gene networks related to adipose growth, lipid metabolism, extracellular matrix, and immune response.

Adipose tissue is hypothesized to play a vital role in regulation of feed efficiency (FE; efficiency in converting energy and nutrients into tissue), of which improvement will simultaneously reduce environmental impact and feed cost per pig. The objective of the present study was to sequence the subcutaneous adipose tissue transcriptome in FE-divergent pigs (n = 16) and identify relevant biological processes underpinning observed differences in FE. We previously demonstrated that high-FE pigs were associated with lower fatness when compared to their counterparts. Here, ontology analysis of a total of 209 annotated genes that were differentially expressed at a p < 0.01 revealed establishment of a dense extracellular matrix and inhibition of capillary formation as one underlying mechanism to achieve suppressed adipogenesis. Moreover, mechanisms ensuring an efficient utilization of lipids in high-FE pigs might be orchestrated by upstream regulators including CEBPA and EGF. Consequently, high-FE adipose tissue could exhibit more efficient cholesterol disposal, whilst inhibition of inflammatory and immune response in high-FE pigs may be an indicator of an optimally functioning adipose tissue. Taken together, adipose tissue growth, extracellular matrix formation, lipid metabolism and inflammatory and immune response are key biological events underpinning the differences in FE. Further investigations focusing on elucidating these processes would assist the animal production industry in optimizing strategies related to nutrient utilization and product quality.

Production and application of anti-nucleoprotein IgY antibodies for influenza A virus detection in swine

Influenza A virus (IAV) causes an important respiratory disease in mammals and birds leading to concerns in animal production industry and public health. Usually, antibodies produced in mammals are employed in diagnostic tests. However, due to animal welfare concerns, technical advantages and the high cost of production, alternatives to the production of antibodies in mammals have been investigated. The aim of this study was to produce egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) in laying hens against a highly conserved protein (nucleoprotein- NP) of IAV and to evaluate the application of anti-NP IgY antibodies in virus detection by immunocytochemistry (ICC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Three laying hens of the White Leghorn line were inoculated seven times with a recombinant NP protein and their eggs collected seven days after the 3rd, 5th and 7th inoculations. Immunoglobulin Y antibodies were purified from egg yolk through precipitation with ammonium sulfate. The titers and specificity of the purified antibodies were determined by ELISA, western blotting, ICC and IHC. High levels of specific anti-NP antibodies were detected by ELISA after the 5th inoculation, reaching a peak after the 7th inoculation. The mean yield of total protein in yolk after the 7th inoculation was 13.5 mg/mL. The use of western blotting and ICC demonstrated that anti-NP IgY binds specifically to NP protein. Moreover, the use of anti-NP IgY antibody in ICC test revealed positive staining of MDCK cells infected with IAV of the three subtypes circulating in swine (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2). However, no staining was observed in lung tissues through the IHC test. The data obtained showed that anti-NP IgY antibodies bound specifically to influenza virus NP protein, detecting the main virus subtypes circulating in swine, reinforcing their usefulness in the influenza diagnosis.

A review of regulations and guidelines related to winter manure application.

Winter manure application elevates nutrient losses and impairment of water quality as compared to manure applications in other seasons. In conjunction with reviewing global distribution of animal densities, we reviewed worldwide mandatory regulations and voluntary guidelines on efforts to reduce off-site nutrient losses associated with winter manure applications. Most of the developed countries implement regulations or guidelines to restrict winter manure application, which range from a regulative ban to guidelines based upon weather and field management conditions. In contrast, developing countries lack such official directives, despite an increasing animal production industry and concern over water quality. An analysis of five case studies reveals that directives are derived from a common rationale to reduce off-site manure nutrient losses, but they are also affected by local socio-economic and biophysical considerations. Successful programs combine site-specific management strategies along with expansion of manure storage to offer farmers greater flexibility in winter manure management.

WITHDRAWN: An integrated analysis of microRNAs involved in fat deposition in different pig breeds

// Xiuxiu Zhang 1 , Wanlong Huang 1 , Yuntao Guo 1 and Xiangyang Miao 1 1 State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Institute of Animal Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China Correspondence to: Xiangyang Miao, email: miaoxy32@163.com , mxy32@sohu.com Keywords: pig; RNA-seq; miRNA; adipose tissue; PPAR Received: January 04, 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Accepted: November 01, 2017&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Published: December 01, 2017 ABSTRACT The domestic pig, an important species in the animal production industry, is also a model system for studying fat deposition and fat-associated diseases in humans. In order to investigate the genetic relationships of the miRNAs that may regulate fat deposition, we performed a genome-wide analysis of miRNAs derived from subcutaneous adipose tissue of Laiwu and Large White pig using RNA-seq. A total of 26,486,906 reads were obtained. Further analysis indicated that 39 known miRNAs and 56 novel miRNAs had significantly differential expression between the two breeds of pigs. Gene Ontology and KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the predicted targets of these differentially expressed miRNAs were involved in several fat-associated pathways, such as the PPAR, MAPK and Wnt signaling pathways. In addition, we found that three miRNAs, ssc-miR-133a-3p, ssc-miR-486 and ssc-miR-1, had an impact on the development of porcine subcutaneous fat through the PPAR signaling pathway. This study provides clues to understand the potential mechanisms of adipogenesis and fat deposition between two different pig breeds. Furthermore, these results may also contribute to the research involving human obesity.