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Genome-Wide Association Study for Meat Quality Traits in a Multi-Breed Pig Population
Abstract This study aimed at identifying genomic regions that affect nine pork quality traits in purebred and crossbred fatteners. A total of 259 fatteners represented by six purebreds/crosses were genotyped for 45556 SNP markers by Illumina Porcine SNP60 BeadChip. The following traits were recorded: glycogen potential (GP), glycogen content (GC), lactate content (LC), pH35, pH24, pH48, drip loss after 48 hours (DL48), colour lightness (L *) and lean meat content (LMC). Multi-Locus Mixed Model methodology was applied to find associations between SNP markers and recorded traits. Several SNPs were found to be significantly associated with some pork quality traits: four SNPs (located on SSC7, SSC10 and SSC14) with GP, three SNPs (SSC10, SSC14) with GC, one SNP (SSC15) with DL48 and one SNP with pH48. Genetic variation explained by significant SNPs ranged from 7.6% to 9.1%. Moreover, some genes (e.g. CAPN10, ALDH5A1, PASK, SNITA1 and MYH7B) located in the close vicinity to significant markers are proposed to be candidate genes explaining the genetic background of the traits studied.
The Quality of Duck Meat - from the Perspective of Physical Measurements and Expert Judgment
Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between some physicochemical properties and organoleptic assessments of duck meat quality and expert assessment of the general appearance of raw breast and leg muscles. Body, carcass, breast and leg muscle weight were analysed. For both breast and leg muscles the following parameters were recorded: water holding capacity, thermal drip, colour lightness L*, electrical conductivity after 15 minutes and 24 hours post mortem, as well as four traits subject to expert organoleptic evaluation (general appearance, colour, odour and fatness). The dependence was evaluated using the Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression equations (the general appearance was treated as a dependent variable). Three sets of variables were considered as factors influencing the general appearance of the raw breast and leg muscles. First, the influence of jointly selected performance traits and physicochemical properties of meat was analysed. Next, the impact of only the second-mentioned group of discriminants was considered, and then the dependence on other organoleptic attributes. It was shown that for both muscle groups, the following have a significant effect on the general appearance: muscle weight (breast muscle P<0.0001, leg muscle P<0.0001) in the first set, electrical conductivity 15 minutes after slaughter (breast muscle P = 0.023, leg muscle P = 0.042) in the second, and colour (both muscle groups P<0.0001) in the third. Muscle weight, electrical conductivity 15 minutes post mortem and visually assessed colour can be used to make a preliminary assessment of the technological and culinary quality of duck meat. Moreover, measurement with a conductometer is an economical and fast method, possible to carry out in a slaughterhouse.
Shaping Goose Meat Quality: The Role of Genotype and Soy-Free Diets
The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of genotype and diet on geese from crossbreeding meat lines Tapphorn (T) and Eskildsen (E). This study was conducted on 240 crossbred geese assigned to two dietary groups: an SBM diet group fed a standard soybean-based diet and an LPS diet group fed a yellow lupin-based diet. Birds were reared under identical management conditions and slaughtered at 17 weeks of age. The following traits were recorded: meat colour (CIELab), pH24, cooking loss, breast and thigh muscle texture (shear force and energy), and sensory traits. The results showed a significant effect of both genotype and diet on meat quality. The LPS diet lowered shear force and energy (by ~11%, p < 0.001), reduced cooking loss in breast muscles (by ~5%, p < 0.001), and improved the juiciness and flavour of thigh muscles. The ET genotype positively influenced the meat colour intensity (lower L*, higher a*), while the lupin-based diet improved technological parameters, especially the water-holding capacity. The results confirm that replacing soybean meal with yellow lupin protein is an effective nutritional strategy that can improve goose meat quality and sustainability without compromising the sensory quality. These outcomes support developing soy-free feeding strategies in goose production to meet consumer expectations and reduce reliance on imported feed.
Bayesian analysis of genetic and environmental effects on litter traits in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) herd under long‐term selection
AbstractThe economic efficiency of fur animal farms is considerably influenced by reproductive performance. The objectives of this study are to determine the effects of individual and maternal inbreeding, birth year, and dam and sire age on litter size at birth (LSB) and at weaning (LSW) and on preweaning mortality (PWM) in a red fox herd under long‐term selection, and to determine the heritability of these traits. In total, 37,973 pedigreed individuals were used to calculate the inbreeding coefficients, based on records of 14,527 litters of 3856 dams born from the year 1958 to 2015. Two data sets (all data and data for the Polish variety) were analyzed. The highest heritability was estimated for PWM (0.292, 0.306) and the lowest for LSW (0.114, 0.115). In contrast to paternal and maternal inbreeding, litter inbreeding was found to exert a significant influence. The absence of significant effects of most varieties may suggest relatively large genetic similarity in the world red fox population. This corresponds with the similarity of the results obtained for the total herd and for the Polish variety. Favorable genetic trends were observed for the studied traits, indicating that the selection applied had been a relatively effective approach to improving these traits.