Meat Traits Research Articles

Relationships between the abundance of 29 proteins and several meat or carcass quality traits in two bovine muscles revealed by a combination of univariate and multivariate analyses

We aimed to evaluate the relationships between meat or carcass properties and the abundance of 29 proteins quantified in two muscles, Longissimus thoracis and Rectus abdominis, of Rouge des Prés cows. The relative abundance of the proteins was evaluated using a high throughput immunological method: the Reverse Phase Protein array. A combination of univariate and multivariate analyses has shown that small HSPs (CRYAB, HSPB6), fast glycolytic metabolic and structural proteins (MYH1, ENO3, ENO1, TPI1) when assayed both in RA and LT, were related to meat tenderness, marbling, ultimate pH, as well as carcass fat-to-lean ratio or conformation score. In addition to some small HSP, ALDH1A1 and TRIM72 contributed to the molecular signature of muscular and carcass adiposity. MYH1 and HSPA1A were among the top proteins related to carcass traits. We thus shortened the list to 10 putative biomarkers to be considered in future tools to manage both meat and carcass properties. SignificanceIn three aspects this manuscript is notable. First, this is the first proteomics study that aims to evaluate putative biomarkers of both meat and carcass qualities that are of economic importance for the beef industry. Second, the relationship between the abundance of proteins and the carcass or meat traits were evaluated by a combination of univariate and multivariate analyses on 48 cows that are representative of the biological variability of the traits. Third, we provide a short list of ten proteins to be tested in a larger population to feed the pipeline of biomarker discovery.

Amino Acids Supplementation Affects Sustainability of Productive and Meat Quality, Survivability and Nitrogen Pollution of Broiler Chickens during the Early Life

The response to amino acid (AAs) supplementation on broiler production, carcass and meat traits and nitrogen in the excreta during the early growth period was evaluated. Two experiments were performed during 1-28 d (245 birds, experiment 1) and 1-21 d of age (455 birds, experiment 2). In both experiments, the positive control (PC) diet had 22.5% crude protein (CP) and the negative control group (NC) diet had around 18% CP with the same methionine (Met) plus lysine (Lys) concentration as the PC diet. In experiment 1, the NC diet was fed to the other five groups supplemented with synthetic amino acids, such as L-arginine (Arg), L-threonine (Thr), L-valine (Val), L-isoleucine (Ile) or all these AAs, respectively. In experiment 2, the NC diet was formulated to contain 18% CP with either corn-soybean meal and animal protein or with only vegetable protein. Both NC diets were offered to the other ten groups with synthetic amino acids such as L-Arg, L-Thr, L-Val, L-tryptophan (Trp) or a combination of all these AAs plus L-isoleucine (Ile), respectively. In conclusion, broilers fed 18% CP supplemented with DL-Met plus L-Lys showed lower performance and a European production efficiency value (EPEV); Arg, Thr and Val addition improved growth, the feed conversion ratio and EPEV of the diets containing animal protein only, but broiler performance and EPEV was lower than with PC, indicating that DL-Met, L-Lys, L-Arg, L-Thr and L-Val supplementation may be limited in low-protein diets. Furthermore, a low-protein diet supplemented with amino acids did not affect the survivability of broilers up to 28 days of age.

Hyperpigmentation Inhibits Early Skeletal Muscle Development in Tengchong Snow Chicken Breed.

Tengchong snow, which has white feathers and black meat, is one of the most important black-bone chicken breeds and a genetic treasure of black food in China. Although the black meat traits are dominant, there are some chickens with white meat traits born in the process of folk selection and breeding. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in skeletal muscle development between Tengchong snow black meat chickens (BS) and white meat chickens (WS), as well as whether excessive melanin deposition has an effect on skeletal muscle development. The BS and WS groups were selected to determine their muscle development difference at stages of 1, 7, 14, 21, and 42 days, using histological stain methods to analyze the development and composing type of breast and leg muscle fibers, as well as the count of melanin in BS muscle fibers. Finally, we were validated key candidate genes associated with muscle development and melanin synthesis. The results showed that BS breast muscle development was inhibited at 7, 14, and 21 days, while the leg muscle was inhibited at 7, 14, 21, and 42 days, compared to WS. Melanin deposition was present in a temporal migration pattern and was greater in the leg muscles than in the breast muscles, and it focused around blood vessels, as well as the epithelium, perimysium, endomysium, and connective tissue. Additionally, melanin produced an inhibitory effect similar to MSTN during skeletal muscle fiber development, and the inhibition was strongest at the stage of melanin entry between muscle fibers, but the precise mechanisms need to be confirmed. This study revealed that melanin has an inhibitory effect on the early development of skeletal muscle, which will provide new insights into the role of melanin in the black-boned chicken and theoretical references for the future conservation and utilization of black-boned chicken.

Cis-regulatory modules prediction in spliced genes associated with carcass and meat traits of Nelore cattle

The cis-regulatory modules are non-coding DNA regions responsible for controlling gene transcription and being involved in the anatomical and embryonic development of animal species. This study aimed to perform a prediction analysis of cis-regulatory modules in spliced genes associated, commonly, with ribeye area (REA) and intramuscular fat (IF) of Nelore cattle. For this, JuncBASE v.0.9 (Junction-Based Analysis of Splicing Events) software was used to identify and classify exon-centered alternative splicing events in the group of animals selected for REA and IF. The prediction of transcription factors and cis-regulatory modules was performed for the genes found using iRegulon v.1.3. The prediction analysis exhibited 45 cis-regulatory modules, of which module 11 had the highest number (N = 9) of binding sites shared commonly by 11 spliced genes and five transcription factors from the MEF2 family. These modules could potentially regulate spliced exons and, thus, contribute to the production of isoforms, which may be involved in essential pathways and biological processes involved in the evaluated animals muscular development and lipid metabolism.

Nannochloropsis oceanica microalga feeding increases long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in lamb meat

To test the hypothesis that lambs fed freeze-dried Nannochloropsis oceanica (NO) biomass will have a higher deposition of EPA in tissues than those fed other Nannochloropsis EPA-sources, we fed 28 lambs with one of four diets: i) C, control, without EPA; ii) O, with 1.2% Nannochloropsis oil; iii) SD, with 12.3% spray-dried NO biomass; iv) FD, with 9.2% freeze-dried NO biomass. Dry matter intake, growth, tissues fatty acid composition, oxidative stability and sensory traits of the resultant meat were evaluated. The EPA was highest in tissues of lambs fed SD and FD compared with O but was similar between SD and FD. Total trans-18:1 did not differ among treatments, but the t10/t11–18:1 ratio decreased with all EPA containing diets. EPA diets were also supplemented with Vitamin E preventing the lipid oxidation in EPA-enriched meat and the meat sensory traits were not affected although occasionally some off-flavours were detected in FD meat.

Redefining the Use of Vinification Waste By-Products in Broiler Diets

In this study, the use of vinification by-products in broiler diets, as a sustainable and promising way of exploiting them, was examined. In particular, the potential use of ground grape pomace (GGP), wine lees extract (WYC) and grape stem extract (PE) in broiler diets was examined. Growth performance parameters, the weight of selected internal organs, meat quality traits, fatty acid profiles of breast meat and selected haematological parameters were determined. Two hundred and forty one-day-old broilers were assigned to four treatments with four replicate pens of fifteen broilers. There was one control treatment (CON), fed a basal diet, and the GGP, WYC and PE treatments, fed a basal diet supplemented with 25 g/kg GGP, 2 g/kg WYC and 1 g starch including 100 mg pure stem extract/kg PE, respectively. The duration of the experiment was 42 days. The average body weight gain during the starter, grower and finisher stages did not differ among treatments. Similarly, the feed intake, FCR and carcass yield did not show a significant difference. The weight of the internal organs was also similar among treatments. Some positive differences were observed in colour traits of meat and in haematological parameters. In the GGP group, saturated (SFAs) and unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) were lower and higher, respectively, compared to the CON, WYC and PE groups. Vinification by-products seem to be a promising feed additive in broiler diets providing a sustainable approach to grape waste management without affecting broiler performance.

Influence of the Dietary Supplement of Protected Calcium Butyrate in Growing Japanese Quail Diets on Performance, Carcass Parameters, Blood Serum Biochemical Status, Meat Quality and Jejunum Histomorphology.

In this trial, it was planned to determine the effect of protected calcium butyrate (PCB) supplemented at different amounts on performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemical values, jejunum histomorphology, and meat traits in Japanese quails. 196 one-day-old unsexed Japanese quails divided into 4 groups with 7 replicates. A conventional corn and soybean meal-based diet was formulated, and all groups’ diets were supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg PCB respectively for 42 days. From the results, PCB supplementation significantly improved body weight (BW) on the 21st day, body weight gain (BWG) between 0 to 21 days, hot carcass yield (HCY), relative weights of the hearth. Similarly, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and villus height (VH) levels were lower in PCB supplemented groups. Besides, PCB supplementation in Japanese quails decreased villus-crypt rate (VCR) except for the control and the group fed with 2.0 g/kg PCB. This study showed that dietary PCB supplementation in Japanese quails’ diet improved growth performance in young chicks and carcass yield, BUN, and lipid profile. On the other hand, the supplementation didn’t affect the antioxidant status, homocysteine, and folic acid values in blood and meat traits.

Effects of dietary lysine levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, and carcase and meat quality of Yacha pigs

The objective was to evaluate the effect of different standardised ileal digestible lysine (SID-Lys) levels on performance, nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, and carcase and meat traits of Yacha pigs. A total of 50 pigs were blocked by body weight and randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with six replicate pens (2 pigs/pen) per treatment using a randomised complete block design. Five diets in mash form were formulated to contain SID-Lys at 0.57%, 0.62%, 0.67%, 0.72%, 0.77% of diet in phase 1 (15 ∼ 30 kg), at 0.40%, 0.48%, 0.56%, 0.64%, 0.72% of diet in phase 2 (30 ∼ 50 kg), and at 0.30%, 0.39%, 0.48%, 0.57%, 0.66% of diet in phase 3 (50 ∼ 90 kg), respectively. The results showed that the average daily gain and gain to feed ratio increased with increasing dietary Lys levels in phases 1 and 2 (p ≤ 0.05). Increasing dietary Lys levels increased linearly (p ≤ 0.05) apparent total-tract digestibility of dry matter, gross energy, crude protein, and phosphorus in Phase 3 and also increased (p ≤ 0.05) concentration of serum glucose and tended to increase (p < 0.10) serum total protein in Phase 2. Compared with the Lys deficiently treatment, the adequate Lys treatment had increased carcase weight, lean meat percentage, and shear force and decreased cooking loss (p ≤ 0.05). Moreover, the optimal dietary SID-Lys levels preliminarily determined for 15 ∼ 30 kg, 30 ∼ 50 kg, and 50 ∼ 90 kg Yacha pigs were 0.760%, 0.628%, and 0.553% of the diet, respectively. HIGHLIGHTS Dietary appropriate SID-Lys levels can improve performance and feed utilisation in Yacha pigs. Dietary appropriate SID-Lys levels contributed to enhancing carcase lean meat yield of Yacha pigs.

Suitability of dried olive pulp in slow-growing broilers: performance, meat quality, oxidation products, and intestinal mucosa features

To assess the effect of dietary dried olive pulp (DOP) on growth performance, meat traits and oxidation, and intestinal mucosa features, a total of 180 male slow-growing broiler chickens (Hubbard) were divided into 3 groups and fed 3 isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets from 14 d of age until slaughter (49 d). The treatments varied according to 3 DOP levels: a control diet without DOP (DOP0, 0%) and 2 test diets containing 5 and 10% of DOP (DOP5 and DOP10, respectively). Duodenal morphometric indices were measured at the end of the feeding period and included: villus height, crypt depth, villus-to-crypt ratio, and villus surface area. Dietary DOP had no adverse effect on growth performance, dressing percentage, or breast yield of broilers. The breast muscle pH at 24 h was significantly higher in birds fed DOP10 diet compared to those on DOP0 and DOP5 diets. Meat color was also affected by dietary treatments. Feeding DOP did not influence breast meat fatty acid composition, whereas meat from DOP-fed broilers resulted less susceptible to lipid and protein oxidation compared to control diet. Including DOP up to 10% in diet resulted in higher duodenal villus height, crypt depth, and villus height to crypt depth ratio as well as villus surface area. Based on our findings, dietary DOP supported productive traits of slow-growing broilers preserving meat from oxidation and improving intestinal morphometric features. As a result, the current study assessed that olive by-product can be used in broiler ration, resulting in a valuable ingredient as replacement for conventional feeds, which could reduce feeding costs due to the low cost of the olive by-product. Thus, using olive by-products as poultry feed may become economically feasible for producers where the olive oil industries play an important economic role.

INDEX EVALUATION AND DETERMINATION OF GENOTYPES OF PATERNAL AND MATERNAL LINES IN MATERNAL PIG BREEDS

The article presents the results of studies aimed at identifying promising maternal and paternal lines in maternal breeds of pigs based on the index evaluation for reproductive, fattening and meat traits, and their genotypes based on the polymorphism of&#x0D; marker genes of performance traits. Differentiation of maternal breed pig lines into paternal and maternal ones has been established. Based on the data obtained as a result of polymorphism of the main marker genes of performance traits (ESR, IGF-2, HFABP and RYR 1), preferable and undesirable genotypes for maternal and paternal lines of pigs of the following breeds were determined: Belarusian Large White, Belarusian Black-and-White and Belarusian Yorkshire breed type pigs.

PSXV-5 Incorporating Breed of Origin and Runs-of-Homozygosity Information in a Genome-Wide Association for Meat Traits in a Brangus Commercial Herd

Abstract Heterosis is the tendency of crossbreed animals performing better than the average of the purebred parents. Heterosis retention is essential in crossbreeding and composite breeding systems. However, not every genomic region benefits from heterosis, with certain traits showing an improvement when certain genomic regions are kept fixed for a certain breed. The objectives of this study were to detect such regions in a commercial Brangus herd, using genotypes, and Breed of Origin (BO) genotypes to identify runs of homozygosity (ROH) and investigate their effects on meat traits. The Brangus herd was genotyped with the Bovine GGP F250 array, after quality control, 99,669 variants, and 1,046 cattle remained. These genotypes were converted into BO genotypes with LAMP-LD, which describes the origin of the markers either from Angus or Brahman ancestry. The new BO genotypes and original genotypes were then used to identify ROH using the –homozyg function PLINK. The ROH genotypes were fit into a single locus mixed model for hot carcass weight (HCW) and marbling (MARB) using the EMMAX procedures in Golden Helix. The same single locus mixed model was used on both genotypes and Breed of Origin genotypes using the EMMAX procedures in Golden Helix. Using BO alleles, and ROH alongside traditional genotypes can help identify regions with significant effects on carcass traits. Providing important information for crossbreeding/composite breed systems about regions which should remain fixed for breeds.

Growth Performance, Carcass and Meat Traits of Autochthonous Arouquesa Weaners Raised on Traditional and Improved Feeding Systems.

Simple SummaryAnimal production in mountain regions is changing and improvements to maintain autochthonous breeds and traditions should be defined. One of the strategies to add value and improve productivity is to produce meat with a PDO (protected denomination of origin) label. One example in Portugal is the Arouquesa PDO beef. This work aimed to compare different production systems and understand if they affect growth performance, carcass, and meat parameters for the Arouquesa PDO beef. Systems using supplementation had better results regarding live weight and average daily gain. The finishing period increased subcutaneous fat. The meat quality parameters differ in the improved production system with early weaning leading to lesser exudative and cooking losses. In conclusion, the traditional systems improved with practices, such as supplementation, can in turn improve meat production without affecting beef quality or PDO certification. This study demonstrates that improved production systems can advance the Arouquesa autochthonous breed production, while in turn maintaining the valued characteristics of a PDO product.Arouquesa is an autochthonous bovine breed known for its Arouquesa PDO beef labeling. There are several production systems under the definition of PDO labeling. This study aimed to compare the effect of different production systems on carcass and meat traits for the Arouquesa breed. Two trials differing in diet and weaning age were conducted. The first trial included a TF group fed the traditional way and weaned at 9 months; a TF + S1 group, equal to TF, but with a starter supplement; and finally, a S1 + S2 group that was fed with a starter and a growth supplement and weaned at 5 months. The second trial was composed of a TF + S3 group fed like the TF + S1 group but reared until 12 months with a finishing supplement, and finally, the S3 group fed like the S1 + S2 group but reared until 12 months. In the first trial, the TF + S1 and S1 + S2 groups showed higher final live weight and average daily gain. In the second trial, we observed differences in the subcutaneous fat that was higher in the S3 group. Regarding meat traits, we observed differences in exudative and cooking losses in the first trial. In general, supplementation improved meat production without affecting meat quality parameters.

Variation in Ovine DGAT1 and Its Association with Carcass Muscle Traits in Southdown Sheep.

Diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) is a microsomal enzyme that plays a key role in the synthesis of triglycerides. Its gene (DGAT1) is regarded as a candidate gene for variation in milk and meat traits in cattle. The objective of this study was to use a PCR single-strand conformation polymorphism approach to explore sequence variation in two regions of ovine DGAT1 and to assess its effect on meat traits in New Zealand Southdown sheep. Three variant nucleotide sequences were identified in each region, with two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and one nucleotide deletion being detected in intron 1 and two SNPs being found in exon 17. The effect of the exon 17 variation was not investigated due to one variant being predominant and the other two variants occurring at low frequencies. In intron 1, one variant (B1) was found to be associated with increase loin meat yield, suggesting that this may have value as a gene marker for improving meat traits.

Effects of Rearing Management Applied throughout the Charolais Young Bulls' Life on Carcass and Meat Quality.

The aim of this work was to study, for the first time, the effects of the rearing management (from birth to slaughter) applied throughout the life of young bulls on carcass and meat quality. Five rearing managements were defined statistically, from a combination of 30 rearing factors, using a hierarchical clustering on principal components. This study considered the individual data of 179 Charolais young bulls from commercial farms. The carcass traits were more sensitive to rearing management than the meat traits. Rearing management had an effect mainly on fat and overall meat grain for the carcass, and on color and tenderness for the longissimus meat. However, it was possible to produce carcass and/or meat with similar properties from different rearing managements. Among the five rearing managements defined in this study, two were identified as allowing the best trade-off to produce simultaneously high carcass and meat quality. The first management was characterized by absence of growth period and a short fattening duration, with a wrapped haylage or corn silage-based diet. The second management was characterized by short pre-weaning and growth periods, and a long fattening period.

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of mRNAs, miRNAs and lncRNAs in the Longissimus dorsi Muscles between Fat-Type and Lean-Type Pigs.

In pigs, meat quality and production are two important traits affecting the pig industry and human health. Compared to lean-type pigs, fat-type pigs contain higher intramuscular fat (IMF) contents, better taste and nutritional value. To uncover genetic factors controlling differences related to IMF in pig muscle, we performed RNA-seq analysis on the transcriptomes of the Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle of Laiwu pigs (LW, fat-type pigs) and commercial Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire pigs (DLY, lean-type pigs) at 150 d to compare the expression profiles of mRNA, miRNA and lncRNA. A total of 225 mRNAs, 12 miRNAs and 57 lncRNAs were found to be differentially expressed at the criteria of |log2(foldchange)| > 1 and q < 0.05. The mRNA expression of LDHB was significantly higher in the LD muscle of LW compared to DLY pigs with log2(foldchange) being 9.66. Using protein interaction prediction method, we identified more interactions of estrogen-related receptor alpha (ESRRA) associated with upregulated mRNAs, whereas versican (VCAN) and proenkephalin (PENK) were associated with downregulated mRNAs in LW pigs. Integrated analysis on differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs and miRNAs in the LD muscle between LW and DLY pigs revealed two network modules: between five upregulated mRNA genes (GALNT15, FKBP5, PPARGC1A, LOC110258214 and LOC110258215) and six downregulated miRNA genes (ssc-let-7a, ssc-miR190-3p, ssc-miR356-5p, ssc-miR573-5p, ssc-miR204-5p and ssc-miR-10383), and between three downregulated DE mRNA genes (IFRD1, LOC110258600 and LOC102158401) and six upregulated DE miRNA genes (ssc-miR1379-3p, ssc-miR1379-5p, ssc-miR397-5p, ssc-miR1358-5p, ssc-miR299-5p and ssc-miR1156-5p) in LW pigs. Based on the mRNA and ncRNA binding site targeting database, we constructed a regulatory network with miRNA as the center and mRNA and lncRNA as the target genes, including GALNT15/ssc-let-7a/LOC100523888, IFRD1/ssc-miR1379-5p/CD99, etc., forming a ceRNA network in the LD muscles that are differentially expressed between LW and DLY pigs. Collectively, these data may provide resources for further investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying differences in meat traits between lean- and fat-type pigs.

Potential of Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) as a dietary protein source for broilers.

This study was conducted to systematically assess and compare the fluctuations in crude protein (CP), crude fat (CF), and mineral content of staged (larva to adult) Drosophila (fruit fly) to that of a market-purchased black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) product. Results suggested that the relative CP content by dry matter ranged from 40.11% to 53.73% during Drosophila development, significantly higher (P < 0.001) than the 36.90% in BSFL. The relative CF was higher in BSFL (39.14%) compared to that of Drosophila (27.03-30.10%, P < 0.001). Although both insects contained sufficient levels of minerals to meet the dietary requirements of most animals, Drosophila overall possessed a lower content of iron, sodium, and calcium (P < 0.001) with a higher gross energy than the BSFL (P < 0.01). Comparative studies of amino acid (AA) and fatty acid (FA) profiles were further carried out among Drosophila larva (DL), pupa, and BSFL for their economic effectiveness. The AA spectra of insect larvae generally were similar except that the DL was higher in certain AA such as lysine (P < 0.01), which is an essential AA often critical for chicken growth. In contrast, the BSFL included more essential FA such as linoleic (C18:2, ω-6) and linolenic (C18:3, ω-3) acids (P < 0.01). To follow up, a husbandry trial was performed by allotting 120, 1-d-old, weight-matched, Arbor Acres broilers at random into treatment groups consisting of a low-protein diet background that contained ~20% CP supplemented with 4% BSFL and 4% or 8% DL. The average daily growth (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of broilers, compared to the control low-protein diet, were significantly improved by feeding DL diets (P < 0.01), with better live and carcass weight and higher muscle pH (P < 0.001), which were positively correlated with the inclusion level of DL (P < 0.001). However, no differences between the control and 4% BSFL diet were observed for the performance parameters mentioned above. Moreover, all birds under our experimental setting exhibited a comparable feed conversion ratio (FCR) and were in a healthy status as indicated by the meat traits and hematological indexes within normal physiological ranges. Collectively, the findings in this study provide a theoretical basis for the further exploitation of Drosophila as potential dietary ingredients for feed production in order to meet the food challenge in the future.

Effects of High Concentration Nitrogen Gas Stunning of Pigs on the Quality Traits of Meat and Small Intestine.

Simple SummaryTo satisfy consumer demand, it is necessary to ensure the quality of the meat and small intestine of animals. For consideration of animal welfare and to obtain an adequate quality of the meat and small intestine, animals need to be stunned to minimize anxiety, pain, distress, or suffering. Electric stunning and exposure to a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) are common stunning methods in the meat industry. However, both methods have some limitations. Pale color and a higher tendency of ecchymosis is the common feature in electric-stunned pigs’ meat. Exposure to higher concentration of carbon dioxide induces high aversion, irritation of nasal mucosal membranes, and severe respiratory distress causing hyperventilation and breathlessness in pigs. Hypercapnia, hyperglycemia, lactic acidosis, and an increased hematocrit also occur in pigs. To reducing the negative impacts of CO2, inert gases (i.e., Argon and N2) are sometimes mixed with CO2. But, the amount of Argon in the atmosphere is very negligible (0.93%) and Argon has a high cost in the market. To maintain hypercapnic–hypoxia and improve stability, a higher concentration of N2 has sometimes been mixed with CO2 and used in pig stunning. But, no trial has used only high concentration of nitrogen in the stunning of animals, while maintaining a hypoxic condition (less than 2% O2 in atmosphere). Our study involved conducting a trial on electricity, CO2 (80%), and high concentrations of nitrogen (98%) in the stunning of pigs and comparing the meat and small intestine quality traits. Findings show that the meat and small intestine quality of N2 (98%)-stunned pigs was favorable compared to the other treatment groups.The objective of present study was to investigate the feasibility of utilizing only high concentration of nitrogen gas in the stunning of pigs and its effects on the quality traits of the meat and small intestine.To conduct this experiment, three treatment groups were compared: (i) electric stunning (T1), (ii) CO2 (80%) gas stunning (T2), and (iii) N2 (98%) gas stunning (T3). A total of 21 standard pigs (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc; LYD) were collected from a commercial pig farm, randomly selecting seven pigs for each group (body weight of 104.5 to 120.6 kg). For stunning, each individual pig was separately kept in a gas chamber, after which each specific gas was used to fulfill the desired level in the pit. To obtain the desired level of concentration for each gas (N2 at 98% and CO2 at 80%), approximately 80 min and 35 min were required, respectively. It was observed that after reaching the desired level of concentration, pigs were stunned within a very short time (for CO2, 90 s and for N2, 120 s). For electric stunning, standard quality electric devices were used. After slaughtering, the meat and small intestine of each animal was collected separately and kept in a cool room where temperature was −2 °C. In the meat and small intestine, L* (Lightness) and b* (Yellowness) were high (p < 0.05) in the T1 and T3 groups. The T2 group showed high a* (Redness) (p < 0.05) values in both the meat and small intestine. A proximate composition of meat showed no significant differences except moisture. The water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of meat were lowest in the T2 group, but not at a notable difference compared to T3. In the small intestine, L* (Lightness), a* (Redness), b* (Yellowness), and thickness significantly differed (p < 0.05) in each group, but WBSF showed no significance between the T2 and T3 groups. It is concluded that a high concentration of N2 gas (98%) may be considered in the stunning of pigs, and its effect on meat and small intestine is favorable.

The effect of housing system on rabbit growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality characteristics of different muscles

The present study analysed the effect of housing system (caged versus penned) on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of rabbits. The physiochemical quality of five muscles was evaluated, together with the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the meat from the hind leg. Sensory properties of the longissimus lumborum (LL) was also assessed. The LL yields were higher in caged rabbits. According to the results, meat from rabbits raised in cages had higher b* values for the LL (i.e., meat was yellower) than rabbits raised in pens. In addition, the quadriceps femoris from penned rabbits had higher a* and b* values (i.e., were redder and yellower) than caged rabbits. The MUFAs (18:1 n-9 and 20:1 n-9) and ash contents of the hind leg meat were higher in caged rabbits. In conclusion, while housing system influenced the physiochemical traits of rabbit meat, the sensory properties were not influenced.

Indexing of Fatty Acids in Poultry Meat for Its Characterization in Healthy Human Nutrition: A Comprehensive Application of the Scientific Literature and New Proposals.

Chicken meat is becoming the most consumed in the world for both economic and nutritional reasons; regarding the latter, the lipid profile may play positive or negative roles in the prevention and treatment of diseases. In this study, we define the state of the art of lipid-based nutritional indexes and used the lipid content and fatty acid profile (both qualitative and quantitative) of breast meat of two poultry genotypes with different growth rates and meat traits. Further, we summarize and review the definitions, implications, and applications of nutritional indexes used in recent years and others of our own design to provide a useful tool to researchers working in the field of meat quality (not only in poultry) to select the most appropriate index for their own scientific purposes. All indexes show advantages and disadvantages; hence, a rational choice should be applied to consider the nutritional effect of meat on human health and for a possible assessment of the most suitable rearing systems (genotype, feeding, farming system or postmortem handling).

Effects of Dietary Lysine Levels on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Serum Metabolites, and Meat Quality of Baqing Pigs.

Simple SummaryThis study investigated the effects of different standardized ileal digestible (SID) Lys levels on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, and carcass and meat traits of Baqing pigs. The results revealed that the addition of dietary SID Lys was beneficial for the average daily feed intake (ADFI), gain to feed ratio (G/F), and average daily gain (ADG) of Baqing pigs at the growth phase. The serum concentrations of triglycerides, lysine, and histidine increased by increasing dietary Lys levels. Compared with the treatment three group, dietary SID Lys addition content at treatment four increased the shear force of the longissimus dorsi muscle, but it did not affect the other carcass and meat traits. The SID Lys requirement of 20–40 kg, 40–60 kg, and 60–90 kg of Baqing pigs fed corn–soybean meal-based diets is estimated to be 0.92%, 0.66%, and 0.55% of the diets, respectively.This study was carried out to determine the Lys requirements of Baqing pigs and the effects of different dietary lysine levels on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, and carcass and meat traits. A total of 120 castrated Baqing pigs were selected by body weight and randomly assigned to five dietary treatments with six replicate pens (4 pigs per pen, castrated) per treatment in a randomized complete block design. Five diets in mash form were formulated to contain SID Lys at 0.56%, 0.68%, 0.80%, 0.92%, and 1.04% of diet in phase 1 (20–40 kg), at 0.45%, 0.54%, 0.63%, 0.72%, and 0.81% of diet in phase 2 (40–60 kg), and at 0.39%, 0.47%, 0.55%, 0.63%, and 0.71% of diet in phase 3 (60–90 kg), respectively. The results showed that the bodyweight of pigs was not affected by dietary SID Lys content during each period. However, the addition of dietary SID Lys linearly reduced F/G in the first period and quadratically increased ADG during the second period (p < 0.05). The digestible energy (DE) was increased linearly and quadratically in the first phases with the dietary increased SID Lys levels, while DE was reduced in the third and second phases (p < 0.05). Increasing SID Lys contents linearly increased the serum TG concentration and quadratically decreased the serum GLU concentration, while linearly reducing the serum HDLC concentration of first period pigs (p < 0.05). Serum concentrations of TP, TG, TC, and LDLC were increased linearly with the increasing dietary SID Lys levels in the second period (p < 0.05). The serum concentrations of Lys increased quadratically, and histidine increased linearly with the increased dietary SID Lys levels (p < 0.05). Compared with the treatment three group, dietary SID Lys addition content at treatment four increased the shear force of the longissimus dorsi muscle (p < 0.05), but it did not affect the other carcass and meat traits. The optimal SID Lys requirement of 20–40 kg, 40–60 kg, and 60–90 kg of Baqing pigs fed corn–soybean meal-based diets is estimated to be 0.92%, 0.66%, and 0.55% of the diets by the quadratic curve models, respectively.