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Production and meat quality traits of genetically lean immunocastrated pigs naturally divergent for loin tenderness

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Abstract

Warner-Bratzler Shear Force (WBSF) is a quantitative measurement of meat toughness that has great impact on the consumer acceptability of meat. This study was conducted to evaluate growth performance, carcass and meat quality characteristics, and fatty acids profile of longissimus lumborum (LL) intramuscular fat (IMF) of pigs that are genetically divergent for WBSF. Based on WBSF values of the LL from a previous study, 12 immunocastrated male pigs selected from 96 pigs were divided into two groups with high WBSF (53.28 to 42.50 N) and low WBSF (37.27 to 27.79 N). Although high-WBSF pigs tended to have improved (P = 0.08) gain-to-feed ratio, overall performance was similar between WBSF groups. High-WBSF pigs also tended to have higher (P = 0.09) cooling loss and lean percentage as well as decreased (P = 0.08) 10th-rib backfat depth than low-WBSF pigs. Loins from high-WBSF pigs tended to have lower (P = 0.07) IMF content and higher (P = 0.09) cooking loss than low-WBSF pigs. Compared to low-WBSF pigs, IMF of the LL from high-WBSF pigs had lower (P = 0.05) percentage of oleic acid and tended to have a decreased (P = 0.07) percentage of total monounsaturated fatty acids. Loins from pigs with high WBSF tended to have increased (P = 0.09) total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) content and had higher (P = 0.03) PUFA: saturated fatty acid ratio than low-WBSF pigs. Selecting pigs for pork tenderness could potentially conflict with lean growth efficiency and a healthier fatty acids profile for human consumption.

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Acknowledgements

Appreciation is extended to the collaborative partners among the Federal University of Goiás, University of São Paulo, and Purdue University.

Funding

The authors would like to thank the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for financial support (grant numbers: 2018/25180-2, 2018/15653-3, 2018/26797-6, and 2020/00743-7), and to the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for scholarship (grant number: 301083/2018-5).

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  1. Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil

    Gabryella Luiza Félix São José, Amoracyr José Costa Nuñez, Adriana Santana do Carmo & Vivian Vezzoni de Almeida

  2. Department of Agri-Food Industry, Food, and Nutrition, University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil

    Julia Dezen Gomes, Aline Silva Mello Cesar & Albino Luchiari Filho

  3. Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    Allan Paul Schinckel & Luiz Fernando Brito

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  1. Gabryella Luiza Félix São José
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Amoracyr J. C. Nuñez, Allan P. Schinckel, Aline S. M. Cesar, Vivian V. de Almeida. Data curation: Gabryella L. F. São José, Julia D. Gomes, Albino Luchiari Filho, Amoracyr J. C. Nuñez, Aline S. M. Cesar, Vivian V. de Almeida. Formal Analysis: Amoracyr J. C. Nuñez, Allan P. Schinckel, Luiz F. Brito, Adriana S. do Carmo, Vivian V. de Almeida. Funding acquisition: Aline S. M. Cesar. Investigation: Julia D. Gomes, Albino Luchiari Filho, Aline S. M. Cesar. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Vivian V. de Almeida and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Vivian Vezzoni de Almeida.

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São José, G.L.F., Nuñez, A.J.C., Gomes, J.D. et al. Production and meat quality traits of genetically lean immunocastrated pigs naturally divergent for loin tenderness. Trop Anim Health Prod 56, 22 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03875-y

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