Improve Pork Quality Research Articles

Eubacterium siraeum suppresses fat deposition via decreasing the tyrosine-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in high-fat diet-induced obesity.

Obesity in humans can lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Similarly, subcutaneous fat (SCF) in pigs affects feed utilization, and excessive SCF can reduce the feed efficiency of pigs. Therefore, identifying factors that suppress fat deposition is particularly important. Numerous studies have implicated the gut microbiome in pigs' fat deposition, but research into its suppression remains scarce. The Lulai black pig (LL) is a hybrid breed derived from the Laiwu pig (LW) and the Yorkshire pig, with lower levels of SCF compared to the LW. In this study, we focused on these breeds to identify microbiota that regulate fat deposition. The key questions were: Which microbial populations reduce fat in LL pigs compared to LW pigs, and what is the underlying regulatory mechanism? In this study, we identified four different microbial strains, Eubacterium siraeum, Treponema bryantii, Clostridium sp. CAG:413, and Jeotgalibaca dankookensis, prevalent in both LW and LL pigs. Blood metabolome analysis revealed 49 differential metabolites, including tanshinone IIA and royal jelly acid, known for their anti-adipogenic properties. E. siraeum was strongly correlated with these metabolites, and its genes and metabolites were enriched in pathways linked to fatty acid degradation, glycerophospholipid, and glycerolipid metabolism. In vivo mouse experiments confirmed that E. siraeum metabolites curb weight gain, reduce SCF adipocyte size, increase the number of brown adipocytes, and regulate leptin, IL-6, and insulin secretion. Finally, we found that one important pathway through which E. siraeum inhibits fat deposition is by suppressing the phosphorylation of key proteins in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway through the reduction of tyrosine. We compared LW and LL pigs using fecal metagenomics, metabolomics, and blood metabolomics, identifying E. siraeum as a strain linked to fat deposition. Oral administration experiments in mice demonstrated that E. siraeum effectively inhibits fat accumulation, primarily through the suppression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, a critical regulator of lipid metabolism. These findings provide a valuable theoretical basis for improving pork quality and offer insights relevant to the study of human obesity and related chronic metabolic diseases. Video Abstract.

Overexpression of ALDOC Promotes Porcine Intramuscular and Intermuscular Fat Deposition by Activating the AKT-mTORC1 Signaling Pathway.

Skeletal muscle fat accumulation, a common complication of obesity, has garnered increasing attention. For livestock animals, intramuscular fat content is a key determinant of meat quality and directly influences consumer preferences for different meat products. However, genes effectively regulating intramuscular and intermuscular fat (IIMF) deposition remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we employed transcriptome sequencing of muscle from pigs with high and low IIMF contents, uncovering Aldolase C (ALDOC) as a novel key gene controlling IIMF. ALDOC overexpression significantly enhanced the IIMF content both in vivo and in vitro. Mechanistic investigations revealed that ALDOC activates the AKT-mTORC1 axis to promote lipid accumulation in myotubes and intramuscular adipocytes. Notably, the mTORC1 inhibitor rapamycin abrogated ALDOC's proadipogenic effect. Our findings establish ALDOC as a novel key gene regulating IIMF deposition and identify the ALDOC-AKT-mTORC1 signaling pathway as a promising therapeutic target for treating skeletal muscle fat infiltration and improving pork quality.

Effects of maternal contact and positive human contact during lactation on pork quality: Positive human contact to piglets during lactation improves pork loin muscle pH

Enhancing stress resilience through the early life period in pigs could potentially improve pork quality. It was hypothesised that pigs receiving maternal contact or positive human contact during lactation would have improved carcass and pork quality. Seventy-nine mixed-sex pigs were selected from a 2 × 2 factorial randomised block design for treatments maternal contact (MC+) / reduced maternal contact (MC-); and positive human contact (HC+) / control (HC-). Modified farrowing crates were utilised to reduce maternal contact (MC-). Litters in the HC+ treatment received five minutes of daily positive human interaction (stroking). Treatments ceased at 22 days of age (weaning) and pigs were slaughtered after 21 weeks of age. The m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum pH was higher in HC+ than HC- pigs (P < 0.05) during chilling, from 90 min post slaughter. No HC effects (P > 0.05) were observed for cortisol or haptoglobin concentration, hot carcass weight, P2 backfat, carcass scratches, colour, drip loss, cook loss and shear force. MC+ tended (P < 0.086) to increase carcass weight, P2 and carcass scratch score compared to MC-, but no further impacts were observed. The impact of positive human contact during early life was observed 20+ weeks after treatment with reduced pH decline, potentially indicating a reduction in pre-slaughter stress, however there were no further impacts on pork quality. There is evidence that maternal contact is important for lifetime growth performance of pigs but the impacts on stress resilience are less apparent.

Transcriptomic Analyses Reveal the Effects of Walnut Kernel Cake on Adipose Deposition in Pigs.

With the rising cost of animal feed protein, finding affordable and effective substitutes is crucial. Walnut kernel cake, a polyphenol-, fiber-, protein- and fat-rich byproduct of walnut oil extraction, has been underexplored as a potential protein replacement in pig feed. In this study, we found that feeding large Diqing Tibetan pigs walnut kernel cake promoted adipose deposition and improved pork quality during pig growth. Transcriptome analysis revealed the upregulation of genes ANGPTL8, CCNP, ETV4, and TRIB3, associated with adipose deposition. Pathway analysis highlighted enrichment in adipose deposition-related pathways, including PPAR, insulin, PI3K-Akt, Wnt, and MAPK signaling. Further analysis identified DEGs (differentially expressed genes) positively correlated with adipose-related traits, such as PER2 and PTGES. Single-cell transcriptome data pointed to the specific expression of CD248 and PTGES in adipocyte progenitor/stem cells (APSCs), pivotal for adipocyte differentiation and adipose deposition regulation. This study demonstrates walnut kernel cake's potential to substitute soybean cake in pig feed, providing high-quality protein and promoting adipose deposition. It offers insights into feed protein replacement, human functional food, fat metabolism, and related diseases, with marker genes and pathways supporting pig breeding and pork quality improvement.

Differential Regulation of Male-Hormones-Related Enhancers Revealed by Chromatin Accessibility and Transcriptional Profiles in Pig Liver.

Surgical castration can effectively avoid boar taint and improve pork quality by removing the synthesis of androstenone in the testis, thereby reducing its deposition in adipose tissue. The expression of genes involved in testis-derived hormone metabolism was altered following surgical castration, but the upstream regulatory factors and underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we systematically profiled chromatin accessibility and transcriptional dynamics in liver tissue of castrated and intact full-sibling Yorkshire pigs. First, we identified 897 differentially expressed genes and 6864 differential accessible regions (DARs) using RNA- and ATAC-seq. By integrating the RNA- and ATAC-seq results, 227 genes were identified, and a significant positive correlation was revealed between differential gene expression and the ATAC-seq signal. We constructed a transcription factor regulatory network after motif analysis of DARs and identified a candidate transcription factor (TF) SP1 that targeted the HSD3B1 gene, which was responsible for the metabolism of androstenone. Subsequently, we annotated DARs by incorporating H3K27ac ChIP-seq data, marking 2234 typical enhancers and 245 super enhancers involved in the regulation of all testis-derived hormones. Among these, four typical enhancers associated with HSD3B1 were identified. Furthermore, an in-depth investigation was conducted on the androstenone-related enhancers, and an androstenone-related mutation was identified in a newfound candidatetypical enhancer (andEN) with dual-luciferase assays. These findings provide further insights into how enhancers function as links between phenotypic and non-coding area variations. The discovery of upstream TF and enhancers of HSD3B1 contributes to understanding the regulatory networks of androstenone metabolism and provides an important foundation for improving pork quality.

Construction of a co-expression network affecting intramuscular fat content and meat color redness based on transcriptome analysis.

Introduction: Intramuscular fat content (IFC) and meat color are vital indicators of pork quality. Methods: A significant positive correlation between IFC and redness of meat color (CIE a* value) indicates that these two traits are likely to be regulated by shared molecular pathways.To identify candidate genes, hub genes, and signaling pathways that regulate these two traits, we measured the IFC and CIE a* value in 147 hybrid pigs, and selected individuls with extreme phenotypes for transcriptome analysis. Results: The results revealed 485 and 394 overlapping differentially expressed genes (DEGs), using the DESeq2, limma, and edgeR packages, affecting the IFC and CIE a* value, respectively. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified four modules significantly correlated with the IFC and CIE a* value. Moreover, we integrated functional enrichment analysis results based on DEGs, GSEA, and WGCNA conditions to identify candidate genes, and identified 47 and 53 candidate genes affecting the IFC and CIE a* value, respectively. The protein protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of candidate genes showed that 5 and 13 hub genes affect the IFC and CIE a* value, respectively. These genes mainly participate in various pathways related to lipid metabolism and redox reactions. Notably, four crucial hub genes (MYC, SOX9, CEBPB, and PPAGRC1A) were shared for these two traits. Discussion and conclusion: After functional annotation of these four hub genes, we hypothesized that the SOX9/CEBPB/PPARGC1A axis could co-regulate lipid metabolism and the myoglobin redox response. Further research on these hub genes, especially the SOX9/CEBPB/PPARGC1A axis, will help to understand the molecular mechanism of the co-regulation of the IFC and CIE a* value, which will provide a theoretical basis for improving pork quality.

Dietary short-term supplementation of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract improves pork quality and promotes skeletal muscle fiber type conversion in finishing pigs

Plant extracts are commonly used as feed additives to improve pork quality. However, due to their high cost, shortening the duration of supplement use can help reduce production costs. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) on meat quality and muscle fiber characteristics of finishing pigs during the late stage of fattening, which was 30 days in our experimental design. The results indicated that short-term dietary supplementation of GSPE significantly reduced backfat thickness, but increased loin eye area and improved meat color and tenderness. Moreover, GSPE increased slow myosin heavy chain (MyHC) expression and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity, while decreasing fast MyHC expression and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Additionally, GSPE increased the expression of Sirt1 and PGC-1α proteins in the LT muscle of finishing pigs and upregulated AMP-activated protein kinase α 1 (AMPKα1), AMPKα2, nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1), and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ) mRNA expression levels. These findings suggest that even during the late stage of fattening, GSPE treatment can regulate skeletal muscle fiber type transformation through the AMPK signaling pathway, thereby affecting the muscle quality of finishing pigs. Therefore, by incorporating GSPE into the diet of pigs during the late stage of fattening, producers can enhance pork quality while reducing production costs.

Integration of transcriptome and machine learning to identify the potential key genes and regulatory networks affecting drip loss in pork.

Low level of drip loss is an important quality characteristic of meat with high economic value. However, the key genes and regulatory networks contributing to drip loss in pork remain largely unknown. To accurately identify the key genes affecting drip loss in muscles postmortem, 12 Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) pigs with extremely high (n ＝ 6, H group) and low (n ＝ 6, L group) drip loss at both 24h and 48h postmortem were selected for transcriptome sequencing. The analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) were performed to find the overlapping genes using the transcriptome data, and functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis were conducted using the overlapping genes. Moreover, we used machine learning to identify the key genes and regulatory networks related to drip loss based on the interactive genes of the PPI network. Finally, nine potential key genes (IRS1, ESR1, HSPA6, INSR, SPOP, MSTN, LGALS4, MYLK2, and FRMD4B) mainly associated with the MAPK signaling pathway, the insulin signaling pathway, and the calcium signaling pathway were identified, and a single-gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to further annotate the functions of these potential key genes. The GSEA results showed that these genes are mainly related to ubiquitin mediated proteolysis and oxidative reactions. Taken together, our results indicate that the potential key genes influencing drip loss are mainly related to insulin signaling mediated differences in glycolysis and ubiquitin mediated changes in muscle structure and improves the understanding of gene expression and regulation related to drip loss and contributes to future molecular breeding for improving pork quality.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Meat Quality Traits of Skeletal Muscles of the Chinese Indigenous Huai Pig and Duroc Pig.

The Huai pig is a well-known indigenous pig breed in China. The main advantages of Huai pigs over Western commercial pig breeds include a high intramuscular fat (IMF) content and good meat quality. There are significant differences in the meat quality traits of the same muscle part or different muscle parts of the same variety. To investigate the potential genetic mechanism underlying the meat quality differences in different pig breeds or muscle groups, longissimus dorsi (LD), psoas major (PM), and biceps femoris (BF) muscle tissues were collected from two pig breeds (Huai and Duroc). There were significant differences in meat quality traits and amino acid content. We assessed the muscle transcriptomic profiles using high-throughput RNA sequencing. The IMF content in the LD, PM, and BF muscles of Huai pigs was significantly higher than that in Duroc pigs (p < 0.05). Similarly, the content of flavor amino acids in the three muscle groups was significantly higher in Huai pigs than that in Duroc pigs (p < 0.05). We identified 175, 110, and 86 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the LD, PM, and BF muscles of the Huai and Duroc pigs, respectively. The DEGs of the different pig breeds and muscle regions were significantly enriched in the biological processes and signaling pathways related to muscle fiber type, IMF deposition, lipid metabolism, PPAR signaling, cAMP signaling, amino acid metabolism, and ECM-receptor interaction. Our findings might help improve pork yield by using the obtained DEGs for marker-assisted selection and providing a theoretical reference for evaluating and improving pork quality.

Improving the accuracy of genomic prediction for meat quality traits using whole genome sequence data in pigs

BackgroundPork quality can directly affect customer purchase tendency and meat quality traits have become valuable in modern pork production. However, genetic improvement has been slow due to high phenotyping costs. In this study, whole genome sequence (WGS) data was used to evaluate the prediction accuracy of genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) for meat quality in large-scale crossbred commercial pigs.ResultsWe produced WGS data (18,695,907 SNPs and 2,106,902 INDELs exceed quality control) from 1,469 sequenced Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire) pigs and developed a reference panel for meat quality including meat color score, marbling score, L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) of genomic prediction. The prediction accuracy was defined as the Pearson correlation coefficient between adjusted phenotypes and genomic estimated breeding values in the validation population. Using different marker density panels derived from WGS data, accuracy differed substantially among meat quality traits, varied from 0.08 to 0.47. Results showed that MultiBLUP outperform GBLUP and yielded accuracy increases ranging from 17.39% to 75%. We optimized the marker density and found medium- and high-density marker panels are beneficial for the estimation of heritability for meat quality. Moreover, we conducted genotype imputation from 50K chip to WGS level in the same population and found average concordance rate to exceed 95% and r2 = 0.81.ConclusionsOverall, estimation of heritability for meat quality traits can benefit from the use of WGS data. This study showed the superiority of using WGS data to genetically improve pork quality in genomic prediction.

Improving pork quality

Improving pork quality

Linoleic acid stimulation results in TGF-β1 production and inhibition of PEDV infection in vitro

Linoleic acid (LA) is recommended to improve pork quality. However, whether it affects the intestinal immune response in pigs is still unclear. Our ex vivo experiments demonstrated that LA stimulation resulted in increased frequencies of Tregs in PBMCs but not in Peyer's Patches (PPs). The results of RT-qPCR, flow cytometry, and ELISA indicated that LA increased the TGF-β1 expression level in DCs isolated from PEDV infected pigs. Furthermore, RT-qPCR and flow cytometry results demonstrated that TGF-β1 was associated with higher frequencies of Tregs both in PBMCs and PPs. Additional investigations showed that TGF-β1 inhibited PEDV infection in vitro. Besides, knocking-out TGF-β1 in IPEC-J2 cells resulted in higher viral load. Taken together, our results demonstrated that LA stimulation resulted in enhanced production of TGF-β1 by DC, which resulted in higher frequencies of Tregs production and inhibition of PEDV infection.

CircHOMER1 inhibits porcine adipogenesis via the miR-23b/SIRT1 axis.

Fat deposition is critical to pork quality. However, the mechanism of fat deposition remains to be elucidated. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are ideal biomarkers and are involved in adipogenesis. Here, we investigated the effect and mechanism of circHOMER1 on porcine adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Western blotting, Oil red O staining, and HE staining were used to assess the function of circHOMER1 in adipogenesis. The results showed that circHOMER1 inhibited adipogenic differentiation of porcine preadipocytes and suppressed adipogenesis in mice. Dual-luciferase reporter gene, RIP, and pull-down assays demonstrated that miR-23b directly bound to circHOMER1 and the 3'-UTR of SIRT1. Rescue experiments further illustrated the regulatory relationship among circHOMER1, miR-23b, and SIRT1. Conclusively, we demonstrate that circHOMER1 plays an inhibitory role in porcine adipogenesis through miR-23b and SIRT1. The present study revealed the mechanism of porcine adipogenesis, which may be helpful to improve pork quality.

Application of simultaneous ultrasonic curing on pork (Longissimus dorsi): Mass transport of NaCl, physical characteristics, and microstructure

This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasound curing with various working modes and frequency combinations, including mono-, dual- and tri-frequency, on the content of NaCl and tenderness of pork loins (Longissimus dorsi). The physical qualities, myoglobin, moisture migration, distribution, and microstructure of pork were also evaluated. The results displayed that the NaCl content of samples cured by simultaneous ultrasound (100W/L) working mode with a frequency combination of 20, 40, and 60kHz was higher than that of other ultrasound working modes. The effect of ultrasonic brining was significantly better than the static curing when the saline solution was >35mL. In addition, the samples cured by simultaneous ultrasound had better physical qualities, including more pickling absorptivity, less cooking loss, and lower hardness, tenderness, and chewiness value. The intensity of lightness was reduced, although redness and yellowness remained unaltered compared to static curing. The myoglobin content decreased drastically without changing the oxygenation level, and the relaxation time of T2b and T21 was delayed. The microstructure indicated that the ultrasonic treatment could promote changes in meat texture. Overall, the simultaneous ultrasound at various frequencies could efficiently accelerate NaCl penetration and improve pork quality.

MiR-34a Regulates Lipid Droplet Deposition in 3T3-L1 and C2C12 Cells by Targeting LEF1.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content plays a key role in improving the flavor and palatability of pork. The IMF content varies between species, breeds, and individuals of the same breed. Hence, it is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms of IMF deposition to improve pork quality. Herein, the IMF content in the longissimus dorsi muscles of 29 Laiwu pigs was detected and divided into two groups, the H group (IMF &gt; 12%) and the L group (IMF &lt; 5%). RNA sequencing analysis showed 24 differentially expressed (DE) miRNA, and GO and KEGG analysis demonstrated that the DE miRNAs were significantly enriched in lipid metabolic process, lipid storage, Wnt, mTOR, and PPAR signaling pathways. miR-34a was found to be increased in the H group and 3T3-L1-derived adipocytes, while Lef1 was decreased. Luciferase reporter assays demonstrated that Lef1 was a potential target of miR-34a. Mechanism analysis revealed that miR-34a could increase lipid droplet deposition in 3T3-L1 and C2C12 cells by dampening the suppressive function of Lef1 on the transcription of adipogenic markers (i.e., Pparg, Cebpa, Fabp4, and Plin1). Moreover, overexpression of miR-34a could enhance the lipid deposition in the co-culture system of 3T3-L1 and C2C12 cells as well as in C2C12 cells cultured with conditioned medium from the progress of adipocyte differentiation. Taken together, our study indicated that miR-34a was an important positive modulator in the regulation of fatty metabolism and fat deposition by inhibiting the suppressive function of Lef1. These results might provide insight for the exploration of potential strategies to promote intramuscular fat deposition in livestock.

Identification of Candidate Genes and Regulatory Competitive Endogenous RNA (ceRNA) Networks Underlying Intramuscular Fat Content in Yorkshire Pigs with Extreme Fat Deposition Phenotypes.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is vital for pork quality, serving an important role in economic performance in pig industry. Non-coding RNAs, with mRNAs, are involved in IMF deposition; however, their functions and regulatory mechanisms in porcine IMF remain elusive. This study assessed the whole transcriptome expression profiles of the Longissimus dorsi muscle of pigs with high (H) and low (L) IMF content to identify genes implicated in porcine IMF adipogenesis and their regulatory functions. Hundreds of differentially expressed RNAs were found to be involved in fatty acid metabolic processes, lipid metabolism, and fat cell differentiation. Furthermore, combing co-differential expression analyses, we constructed competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNA) regulatory networks, showing crosstalk among 30 lncRNAs and 61 mRNAs through 20 miRNAs, five circRNAs and 11 mRNAs through four miRNAs, and potential IMF deposition-related ceRNA subnetworks. Functional lncRNAs and circRNAs (such as MSTRG.12440.1, ENSSSCT00000066779, novel_circ_011355, novel_circ_011355) were found to act as ceRNAs of important lipid metabolism-related mRNAs (LEP, IP6K1, FFAR4, CEBPA, etc.) by sponging functional miRNAs (such as ssc-miR-196a, ssc-miR-200b, ssc-miR10391, miR486-y). These findings provide potential regulators and molecular regulatory networks that can be utilized for research on IMF traits in pigs, which would aid in marker-assisted selection to improve pork quality.

MiR-381-3p Inhibits Intramuscular Fat Deposition through Targeting FABP3 by ceRNA Regulatory Network.

Simple SummaryIntramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is an important determinant of pork quality and a complex process facilitated by non-coding ceRNAs. Emerging evidence suggests that IMF deposition is a complex process facilitated and associated with non-coding RNAs, such as microRNAs and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA). In our study, whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed using longissimus dorsi samples of six low and high IMF Berkshire × Anqing Sixwhite crossbred pigs. Differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, were screened and constructed 34 competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA). Following weighted gene co-expression network analysis, only one ceRNA, lncRNA4789/miR-381-3p/FABP3, that showed similar DE trend in longissimus dorsi tissue was retained. Furthermore, dual-luciferase reporter assays further indicated that FABP3 was a direct, functional target of miR-381-3p while overexpressed lncRNA4789 attenuated the effect of miR-381-3p on FABP3 by sponging miR-381-3p. Cell function verification experiment demonstrated that miR-381-3p suppressed IMF deposition by inhibiting preadipocyte cell differentiation and lipid droplet deposition via the suppression of FABP3 expression in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signalling pathway, whereas lncRNA4789 rescued FABP3 expression by sponging miR-381-3p. Our study may aid in identifying novel molecular markers for its optimization in IMF which is of importance in breeding for improving pork quality.Intramuscular fat (IMF) deposition is an important determinant of pork quality and a complex process facilitated by non-coding ceRNAs. In this study, 52 Berkshire × Anqing Sixwhite crossbred pigs were slaughtered to measure eight carcass and pork quality traits. Whole-transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed using longissimus dorsi samples of six low- and high-IMF samples; 34 ceRNA networks, based on 881, 394, 158 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs, were constructed. Following weighted gene co-expression network analysis between the low and high IMF, only one ceRNA, lncRNA4789/miR-381-3p/FABP3, that showed similar DE trend in longissimus dorsi tissue was retained. Dual-luciferase reporter assays further indicated that FABP3 was a direct, functional target of miR-381-3p, where miR-381-3p overexpression inhibited the mRNA and protein expression of FABP3. In addition, overexpressed lncRNA4789 attenuated the effect of miR-381-3p on FABP3 by sponging miR-381-3p. Cell function verification experiment demonstrated that miR-381-3p suppressed IMF deposition by inhibiting preadipocyte cell differentiation and lipid droplet deposition via the suppression of FABP3 expression in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signalling pathway, whereas lncRNA4789 rescued FABP3 expression by sponging miR-381-3p. Our study may aid in identifying novel molecular markers for its optimization in IMF which is of importance in breeding for improving pork quality.

Effects of standardized ileal digestible lysine level on growth performance and economic return for 18 to 128 kg Duroc-sired pigs.

The recent shift of the U.S. swine industry toward improved pork quality, such as color, marbling, and firmness, has led to increased use of Duroc-sired pigs in the marketplace. Our objective was to determine the standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys requirement estimates for Duroc-sired (600 × 241, DNA, Columbus, NE) pigs from 18 to 128 kg BW. We conducted a series of experiments using corn-soybean meal-based diets with pigs allotted to 6 or 7 treatments in randomized complete block designs. In all experiments an equal number of barrows and gilts were used within a pen. In experiment 1, 300 pigs (initially 18.4 ± 0.50 kg) were used with 5 pigs per pen and 10 pens per treatment with 6 SID Lys levels from 1.00% to 1.50%. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P < 0.040) final BW, ADG, G:F, and Lys intake/kg of gain, and decreased (linear, P = 0.012) ADFI. In experiment 2, 608 pigs (initially 36.3 ± 0.91 kg) were used with 7 to 9 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment with 6 SID Lys levels from 0.80% to 1.20%. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P ≤ 0.036) ADG, G:F, and Lys intake/kg of gain. In experiment 3, 700 pigs (initially 53.2 ± 0.86 kg) were used with 8 to 10 pigs per pen and 12 pens per treatment with 6 SID Lys levels from 0.65% to 1.00%. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P < 0.001) final BW, ADG, and Lys intake/kg of gain, decreased (quadratic, P = 0.004) ADFI, and improved (quadratic, P < 0.001) G:F. In experiment 4, 616 pigs (initially 76.4 ± 1.25 kg) were used with 8 to 10 pigs per pen and 5, 6, or 11 pens per treatment with 7 SID Lys levels from 0.58% to 1.00%. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P ≤ 0.022) ADG, Lys intake per kilogram of gain, and G:F. In experiment 5, 679 pigs (initially 103.8 ± 1.32 kg) were used with 8 to 10 pigs per pen and 11 or 12 pens per treatment with 6 SID Lys levels from 0.43% to 0.78%. Increasing SID Lys increased (linear, P ≤ 0.043) final BW, ADG, and Lys intake per kilogram of gain, and improved (quadratic, P ≤ 0.032) G:F. Using results from all experiments, the quadratic equation of Lys:calorie ratio, g of SID Lys/Mcal of NE = 0.0002611 × BW2 - 0.0711037 × BW + 7.284 was developed to reflect the requirement for maximal growth performance from 18 to 128 kg BW. Maximal income over feed cost (IOFC) is best described by the quadratic equation: Lys:calorie ratio, g of SID Lys/Mcal of NE = 0.0001558 × BW2 - 0.04030769 × BW + 5.410. These data provide updated SID Lys estimates for Duroc-sired grow-finish pigs.

Effects of Dietary Yeast β-Glucan Supplementation on Meat Quality, Antioxidant Capacity and Gut Microbiota of Finishing Pigs.

Yeast β-glucan is a natural antioxidant and has been reported to improve growth performance of piglets, but its application in improving pork quality is limited. This study investigated the effects of dietary yeast β-glucan supplementation on meat quality, antioxidant capacity and gut microbiota of finishing pigs. In a 40-day experiment, ninety finishing pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 70.47 ± 0.04 kg) were randomly allocated into five treatments including a basal diet supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg yeast β-glucan. Results showed that yeast β-glucan significantly increased pH45 min (linear and quadratic, p < 0.01) and a*45 min (linear, p < 0.05), and reduced cooking loss (linear, p < 0.05) and drip loss (quadratic, p < 0.05) of meat in finishing pigs. Importantly, the 200 mg/kg group exhibited the highest values of pH45 min (p < 0.01) and the lowest values of drip loss (p < 0.05), accompanied by a decreased lactate content (p < 0.05) and glycolytic potential (p < 0.05). Dietary supplementation of 200 mg/kg yeast β-glucan markedly increased catalase (CAT) (p < 0.05), superoxide dismutase (SOD) (p < 0.05) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) (p < 0.01) activities in skeletal muscle. Moreover, WPS-2 abundance was decreased significantly in colonic digesta by 200 mg/kg yeast β-glucan and exhibited a positive association with muscle lactate content and drip loss. Together, dietary 200 mg/kg yeast β-glucan supplementation effectively improved pH value and the water-holding capacity of fresh meat through reducing muscle postmortem glycolysis, increasing antioxidant capacity and altering the gut microbiota composition of finishing pigs.

The influence of duration of feeding dietary vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder to finisher pigs on growth performance and meat quality parameters

Novel feed additives that replace the use of synthetic additives while enhancing pig performance and pork quality are continuously being explored. A complete randomised block design experiment was conducted to examine the effects of the duration of feeding of vitamin D2 enriched mushrooms to finisher pigs and its effect on pig performance and pork quality. Sixty pigs were assigned to one of three dietary treatments for a 69-day feeding period. The dietary treatments were as follows: (T1) basal diet; (T2) basal diet + 1 g/kg of feed vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 48 days prior to slaughter (MPVD-48); and (T3) basal diet + 1 g/kg of feed vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 26 days prior to slaughter (MPVD-26). The mushroom vitamin D content was naturally enriched using synthetic ultraviolet B exposure to obtain a vitamin D2 level of 50 µg/kg of feed. Dietary supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder, irrespective of feeding duration, caused a reduction (P < 0.05) in feed intake, whilst improving (P < 0.05) gain-to-feed ratio. Supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder for 26 days prior to slaughter caused pork lightness (L*) values to remain stable over the 21-day storage time-period compared with all other dietary groups. Supplementation for 26 days also caused a reduction in lipid peroxidation on day 4 of storage compared with supplementation for 48 days. Irrespective of feeding duration, vitamin D2 enriched mushroom powder supplementation improved FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power) values of pork compared with the basal. In conclusion, vitamin D2 enriched mushroom supplementation, irrespective of feeding duration, caused a reduction in feed intake but improved feed efficiency. The supplementation of vitamin D2 enriched mushrooms for the shorter duration of 26 days prior to slaughter improved pork quality in relation to colour and antioxidant status.