Possible effects of the MC4R Asp298Asn polymorphism on pig production traits under ad libitum versus restricted feeding.

The missense mutation Asp298Asn in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) is associated with daily gain or fatness in pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus). However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has directly compared the effects of the polymorphism between different feeding levels, even though diet plays a vital role in the swine industry. To explore possible differences, data from 439 mostly commercial hybrids fattened ad libitum and 119 commercial hybrids fattened with restricted feed ration were collected. The recorded traits were average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight (CW), dressing percentage (DP), lean meat content (LM), backfat thickness (BFT), lean cuts weight, and meat quality parameters such as pH, temperature, drip loss, and CIELAB colour space. The general linear model revealed that the overall effect of MC4R was not statistically significant, but significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in ADG, FCR, CW, DP, LM, and BFT. In the ad libitum category, the AA genotype (298Asn/298Asn) tended to be the most favourable for growth-related traits, with the lowest LM, which is consistent with previous findings. In the restricted category, on the other hand, GA heterozygotes (298Asp/298Asn) achieved the best performance in terms of growth, whereas AA homozygotes showed the worst performance. Therefore, these results raise the possibility of an interaction between MC4R and the feeding level.

Development of an analytical method for the determination of sterol compounds in boars' saliva.

"Boar taint" compounds influence the sexual behavioral responses of sows and stimulate their reproduction. This paper reports a fast, easier, and a non-invasive analytical method for the analysis of three "boar taint" compounds in boar' saliva samples: androstenone, androsten-3α-ol, and androsten-3ß-ol. This method was developed and validated based on solid-phase extraction (SPE) and multidimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (MDGC-MS). All the compounds were detected without derivatization. This method affords good reproducibility (4%-8%), accuracy (80%-105%), precision (5.5%-9.1%), linearity (R2 = 0.98-0.99), and lower limits of quantitation (LLOQ) (0.1-0.2 µg/L). Although the presence of these compounds in saliva has been known for a long time, no simple and easy analytical method has been developed.

Porcine EEF1A1 and EEF1A2 genes: genomic structure, polymorphism, mapping and expression.

Eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1 alpha (EEF1A) plays a key role in protein synthesis. In higher vertebrates EEF1A occurs in two isoforms, EEF1A1 and EEF1A2, encoded by distinct genes. The purpose of this study was to compare the two porcine genes as for the genomic sequence, gene organization and mRNA expression in different tissues, as well as to search for polymorphism and chromosomal assignment. Standard methods of DNA and mRNA analysis were used. We determined the complete genomic sequence of the porcine EEF1A1 and EEF1A2 genes. The two genes differ in the lengths of transcription units (3102 and 8588 bp, respectively), but have similar genomic organization and their coding sequences are highly similar (78% identity of coding sequences and 92.4% identity of amino acid sequences). Several polymorphisms in the two genes were detected. EEF1A1 and EEF1A2 were mapped to SSC1p11.1 and SSC17q23.3, respectively. mRNA of EEF1A1 was expressed in all studied tissues (the highest expression was in 44-day fetal muscle and low expression in adult liver and brain), while EEF1A2 was expressed only in skeletal-muscle, tongue, heart, diaphragm and brain tissues. EEF1A2 was not expressed in fetal muscle tissue (44 days). In this paper results are provided on genomic sequences, genomic organization, polymorphism, chromosomal assignment and spatial and temporal expressions of the porcine EEF1A1 and EEF1A2 genes. Novel polymorphisms were described in both genes. Porcine EEF1A2 was studied for the first time.

The Effect of the Boar Taint Masking Strategy (Adding Dried Origanum vulgare or Allium sativum) on Sensory Characteristics.

With increasing efforts to ban surgical castration, it is important to find ways to mask the level of boar taint in meat. The aim of this study was to test the possibility of masking boar taint or skatole levels by adding dried Origanum vulgare or Allium sativum and to evaluate consumer sensory preferences towards the skatole concentration in different carcass parts (longissimus lumborum; semimembranosus; neck chop and subcutaneous fat) and the masking strategy (addition of Allium sativum or Origanum vulgare). In the first experiment, the effect of the masking strategy was evaluated at three different skatole concentrations (0.069, 0.269 and 0.463 µg/g). The results showed that the samples with low and medium skatole levels were significantly different between the control group and the groups treated with Origanum vulgare or Allium sativum. In both cases, the addition of Allium sativum and Origanum vulgare had a positive effect on the parameters of abnormal odour and pleasantness of odour (p < 0.05). According to the results of the second experiment, meat samples from leaner parts, such as the neck chop semimembranosus and longissimus lumborum, not treated with Allium sativum and Origanum vulgare for masking, were significantly (p < 0.05) worse in terms of the occurrence of boar taint or abnormal odour than the masked samples. No significant differences were found between the two masking methods.

Eating Quality of Pork from Entire Male Pigs after Dietary Supplementation with Hydrolysable Tannins.

Boar taint is an unpleasant odour and flavour released during heat treatment of pork from uncastrated male pigs. The two main compounds responsible for boar taint are androstenone and skatole. Androstenone is a steroid hormone formed in the testis during sexual maturity. Skatole is a product of microbial degradation of the amino acid tryptophan in the hindgut of pigs. Both of these compounds are lipophilic, which means that they can be deposited in adipose tissue. Several studies have reported heritability estimates for their deposition from medium (skatole) to high magnitudes (androstenone). In addition to efforts to influence boar taint through genetic selection, much attention has also been paid to reducing its incidence using various feeding strategies. From this point of view, research has focused especially on the reduction in skatole content by supplementation of feed additives into the nutrition of entire male pigs. Promising results have been achieved using hydrolysable tannins in the diet. To date, most studies have investigated the effects of tannins on the production and accumulation of skatole in adipose tissue, intestinal microbiota, growth rate, carcasses and pork quality. Thus, the objective of this study was, in addition to determining the effects of tannins on androstenone and skatole accumulation, to assess the effects of tannins on the sensory traits of meat from entire males. The experiment was performed on 80 young boars-progeny of several hybrid sire lines. Animals were randomly assigned to one control and four experimental groups (each numbering 16). The control group (T0) received a standard diet without any tannin supplementation. Experimental groups were supplemented with 1% (T1), 2% (T2), 3% (T3) or 4% (T4) SCWE (sweet chestnut wood extract) rich in hydrolysable tannins (Farmatan). Pigs received this supplement for 40 days prior to slaughter. Subsequently, the pigs were slaughtered, and sensory analysis was applied to evaluate the odour, flavour, tenderness and juiciness of the pork. The results showed a significant effect of tannins on skatole accumulation in adipose tissue (p = 0.052-0.055). The odour and flavour of the pork were not affected by tannins. However, juiciness and tenderness were reduced by higher tannin supplementation (T3-T4) compared to the controls (p < 0.05), but these results were sex-dependent (in favour of men compared to women). Generally, women rated tenderness and juiciness worse than men regardless of the type of diet.

The Effect of Carbamazepine on Performance, Carcass Value, Hematological and Biochemical Blood Parameters, and Detection of Carbamazepine and Its Metabolites in Tissues, Internal Organs, and Body Fluids in Growing Rabbits.

Antiepileptic drugs (e.g., carbamazepine; CBZ) are widely prescribed for various conditions beyond epilepsy, including neurologic and psychiatric disorders. These medications can have both favorable and unfavorable impacts on mood, anxiety, depression, and psychosis. CBZ has been found at low concentrations (in the unit of nanograms per liter) in rivers, surface water, and even drinking water. As a result, when reclaimed wastewater is used for irrigation in agricultural ecosystems, CBZ can be reintroduced into the environment. That is why we tested different doses of CBZ in rabbits' feed as the meat is consumed in every community, has no religious barriers, and the potential risk of consuming meat which has been exposed to CBZ treatment is not known. Also, the evidence of the effect of CBZ on rabbits is missing. Mainly, the CBZ doses affected the count of leukocytes and other blood traits, meaning the higher the dose, the higher the reduction. Moreover, there were only low amounts of CBZ in rabbits' meat or tissues when they were exposed to the treatment.

Association between polymorphism in the FTO gene and growth and carcass traits in pig crosses.

BACKGROUND: Independent studies have shown that several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the human FTO (fat mass and obesity associated) gene are associated with obesity. SNP have also been identified in the pig FTO gene, among which some are associated with selected fat-deposition traits in F2 crosses and commercial populations. In this study, using both commercial pig populations and an experimental Meishan × Pietrain F2 population, we have investigated the association between one FTO SNP and several growth and carcass traits. Association analyses were performed with the FTO polymorphism either alone or in combination with polymorphisms in flanking loci. METHODS: SNP (FM244720:g.400C>G) in exon 3 of porcine FTO was genotyped by PCR-RFLP and tested for associations with some growth, carcass and fat-related traits. Proportions of genetic variance of four pig chromosome 6 genes (FTO, RYR1, LIPE and TGFB1) on selected traits were evaluated using single- and multi-locus models. RESULTS: Linkage analysis placed FTO on the p arm of pig chromosome 6, approximately 22 cM from RYR1. In the commercial populations, allele C of the FTO SNP was significantly associated with back fat depth and allele G with muscling traits. In the Meishan × Pietrain F2 pigs, heterozygotes with allele C from the Pietrain sows and allele G from the Meishan boar were more significantly associated with fat-related traits compared to homozygotes with allele G from the Pietrain and allele G from the Meishan breed. In single- and multi-locus models, genes RYR1, TGFB1 and FTO showed high associations. The contribution in genetic variance from the polymorphism in the FTO gene was highest for back fat depth, meat area on the musculus longissimus lumborum et thoracis tissues and metabolite glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that in pig, FTO influences back fat depth in the commercial populations, while in the Meishan × Pietrain F2 pigs with a CG genotype, heterosis occurs for several fat-related traits.

Changes in Fatty Acids Profile, Health Indices, and Physical Characteristics of Organic Eggs from Laying Hens at the Beginning of the First and Second Laying Cycles.

The present study compared the fatty acid profile and some physical parameters of eggs from hens reared according to the organic system at the beginning of the first and second laying cycle. A total of 1080 eggs were analysed at the beginning of the first (from the 28th to 30th week of age) and the second (from the 78th to 80th week of age) laying cycle. It was found that the hen ages influenced the egg weight, egg surface area, yolk proportion, and eggshell colour. Albumen and eggshell proportion, albumen, yolk index, Haugh unit score, and eggshell strength were lower in eggs from older hens compared with those produced from younger layers. Monounsaturated fatty acids were found in higher amounts than saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in egg yolks of eggs from layers only at the beginning of the second laying cycle. The PUFAn-6/n-3 ratio, saturation, atherogenic, and thrombogenic indices were significantly lower in the egg yolks from older hens compared to younger layers. These findings (regarding the eggs from the older ones) prove that it is practical to utilize them in the organic farming system during a period of two years.

Changes of Androstenone Concentrations in Saliva of Boars with Age.

With the increasing age of boars, the possibility of androstenone (5α-androst-16-en-3-one (AND), 5α-androst-16-en-3α-ol (α-AND), and 5α-androst-16-en-3ß-ol (ß-AND)) occurrence increases as well. The aim of this study was to evaluate concentrations of androstenone compounds in the saliva of boars concerning the age of animals. In total, 72 boars were evaluated (24 boars per replication). The effect of age (three different ages-152, 163, and 172 days) was observed, and (Landrace × Large White) × Pietrain genotypes were used. Chemical analysis of saliva samples was conducted by multidimensional gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (MDGC/MS). Salivary α-AND increased with age (p < 0.05), and positive correlations were found between age and submaxillary salivary gland weight (p < 0.05), age, and salivary AND concentration (p < 0.05), body weight and submaxillary salivary gland weight (p < 0.05), submaxillary salivary gland weight and salivary ß-AND concentration (p < 0.05), as well as submaxillary salivary gland weight and total salivary 5α-androstenone (AND total) concentration (p < 0.001). Nowadays, animal welfare is becoming a more and more discussed topic, and pig breeding is not an exception. Specifically, the castration ban is a current issue, so it is very important to know as much as possible about compounds responsible for boar taint. Androstenone's appearance in boars' saliva could be one of the most important precursors for future early detection of boar taint.

The impact of bisphenols on reproductive system and on offspring in pigs - A review 2011-2020.

This study summarizes the knowledge about effects of bisphenol A (BPA) and its analogues on reproduction of pigs and some parameters of their offspring during period 2011-2020. Bisphenols are known as one of the most harmful environmental toxicants with endocrine-disrupting properties. One study in the reference period related to male reproductive system. Treatment with an antagonist of G-protein coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) - G15, and bisphenol A and its analogues, tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and tetrachromobisphenol A (TCBPA) diversely disrupted protein molecules controlling the biogenesis and function of microRNA in Leydig cells. Nine studies examined the effect of BPA, bisphenol S (BPS) or fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) on female reproductive system. From the possible protective effect's point of view seems to be perspective the administration of melatonin in BPA-exposed oocytes. Finally, two studies were found to evaluate the maternal exposure to BPA on offspring's meat quality, muscle metabolism and oxidative stress. Administration of methyl donor improved antioxidant enzymes activity and reduced oxidative stress in piglets.

The Effect of Dietary Helianthus tuberosus L. on the Populations of Pig Faecal Bacteria and the Prevalence of Skatole.

Jerusalem artichoke contains inulin polysaccharide, which has prebiotic effects and influences the microbiota of the digestive tract. The addition of Jerusalem artichoke in boar diets may decrease the content of skatole and indole, which are the main constituents of boar taint, and may also negatively affect the taste and odor. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different levels of Helianthus tuberosus L. (H. tuberosus) in feed mixtures on performance, carcass composition, the levels of microbiota in faecal samples, and the concentrations of skatole and indole in adipose tissue. The study was performed with 47 crossbred entire male pigs of the Large White sire × (Large White dame × Landrace) genotype fed a basal diet with 0%, 4.1%, 8.1% or 12.2% H. tuberosus for 13 days before slaughter. Significant differences in daily weight gain and daily feed intake were found (p = 0.045), with the values being lower in the group with the highest level of H. tuberosus. In addition, increasing levels of H. tuberosus decreased the concentration of skatole in the adipose tissue (p = 0.003). The highest level of H. tuberosus decreased the level of Escherichia coli (p ≤ 0.001) in the faeces. The enterococcal count increased (p = 0.029) in groups with a diet that included 4.1% and 8.1% H. tuberosus. There was also a significant correlation between the concentration of H. tuberosus and the concentration of E. coli (p < 0.001; -0.64) and the skatole levels in the adipose tissue (p = 0.001; -0.46). Moreover, there was also a positive correlation between the concentration of E. coli and the skatole levels in the adipose tissue (p = 0.023; 0.33). In conclusion, feeding pigs with H. tuberosus leads to decreased levels of skatole in the adipose tissue. According to the results of our study, a diet with 8.1% H. tuberosus is sufficient for decreasing skatole levels, which could be due to the decreased levels of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines.

Attitudes and Beliefs of Eastern European Consumers Towards Animal Welfare.

The aim of this exploratory work, because of the existing bias on the size of the sample and some of the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants, was to investigate the Eastern European consumers' beliefs and attitudes toward animal welfare, to perform a cross-country segmentation analysis and to observe possible differences with their Western European counterparts. For this purpose, a survey was conducted with 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Ukraine) using a questionnaire with nine statements about consumers beliefs regarding animal welfare (aspects of management, ethical issues about animals, and consequences of animal welfare on meat quality and price), one statement about the willingness to pay more for meat produced under better welfare conditions, and four statements regarding attitudes toward animal welfare. Differences between countries were detected for all the statements. Moreover, three clusters of consumers were identified: one with consumers indifferent towards animal welfare; one with consumers concerned about animal welfare, but they believe it is difficult to achieve; and one with consumers concerned about animal welfare, and they believe it is possible to achieve it.

Attitudes and beliefs of Eastern European consumers towards piglet castration and meat from castrated pigs.

Castration of male piglets is a common practice to avoid boar taint but is being questioned. The present work has an exploratory character and aims to investigate the beliefs and attitudes of Eastern European consumers regarding boar taint, surgical castration immunocastration and perception of meat from castrated pigs and to find out possible segments of consumers regarding these attitudes and beliefs. For this purpose, a consumer study was carried out involving 5508 consumers from 13 Eastern European countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine). The questionnaire included statements related to beliefs about castration and perception of meat from castrated pigs, attitudes towards meat from castrated pigs. Results show that in general beliefs and attitudes of the consumers are not defined, probably because of the lack of knowledge (information was not provided to the consumers) towards these issues. Three different clusters of consumers were obtained with different beliefs towards castration.

Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets.

Surgical castration of piglets without pain relief is still common practice in many countries. Possible alternatives for surgical castration are application of pain relief or anaesthesia or production of boars (entire males) and immunocastrates. Each of these alternatives faces advantages and disadvantages which may result in different citizen attitudes and consumers acceptability. Understanding which practice is acceptable to whom and why may further stimulate implementation. Consumer (n = 3251) and stakeholder (n = 1027) attitudes towards surgical castration without pain relief, surgical castration with anaesthesia, immunocastration, and production of boars were surveyed from April to June 2020 via an online questionnaire in 16 countries (>175 respondents per country). Surgical castration without pain relief was separated from each of the alternatives due to animal welfare and showed the lowest acceptability (32%). Within the alternatives, a further partitioning between the alternatives was based on perceived quality and food safety, with an acceptance of 85% for applying anaesthesia, 71% for immunocastration, and 49% for boar production. Differences depending on professional involvement and familiarity with agriculture could be observed, mainly for the acceptance of surgical castration without anaesthesia, immunocastration, and boars. Castration with anaesthesia was highly accepted by all types of respondents.

Erratum: Aluwé, M. et al. Exploratory Survey on European Consumer and Stakeholder Attitudes towards Alternatives for Surgical Castration of Piglets. Animals 2020, 10, 1758.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Effect of Duration of Dietary Rapeseed and Soybean Oil Feeding on Physical Characteristics, Fatty Acid Profile, and Oxidative Stability of Pig Backfat.

This study compared the effect of two vegetable oils and their feeding duration on pig backfat quality. The experiment was conducted with 60 DanBred pigs that were fed a diet supplemented (40 g/kg) with rapeseed or soybean oil for 2, 4 or 6 weeks before slaughter at 152 d of age. The supplementation of both vegetable oils in the diets for 6 weeks negatively changed backfat consistency. The pigs fed soybean oil for 4 (17.64%) and 6 weeks (18.52%) before slaughter showed an increase in backfat linoleic acid content (p = 0.002), whereas, in contrast to the other groups, rapeseed oil in the diet for 6 weeks (2.38%) increased α-linolenic acid content (p = 0.039). The content of PUFAs (p = 0.024) and n-6 PUFAs (p = 0.003) was increased by adding soybean oil to the diet for 4 and 6 weeks. The ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFAs was decreased (p = 0.040) by supplementing rapeseed oil for 4 and 6 weeks. The oil feeding duration decreased (p < 0.001) the atherogenic and thrombogenic indices. The lipid oxidative stability of backfat stored for 3 and 5 days increased (p < 0.001) in pigs fed dietary vegetable oils for 6 weeks prior to slaughter. In conclusion, the feeding of rapeseed oil for 4 weeks before slaughter is sufficient for improving the FA profile without negative effect on the consistency of the backfat.

Association analysis of SNPs in the porcine CYP2E1 gene with skatole, indole, and androstenone levels in backfat of a crossbred pig population.

The occurrence of boar taint in meat from uncastrated males may significantly affect the economics of pork production. The aim of this study was to analyse associations of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the porcine CYP2E1 gene with skatole, indole, and androstenone levels in the Czech Large White-Czech Landrace commercial crossbreds. The SNPs were: g.2412C>T, c.1422C>T, c.1423G>A and c.*14G>T. Skatole, indole and androstenone levels were estimated by HPLC, and genotypes at the SNPs were determined by PCR-RFLP. SNPs c.1423G>A and c.*14G>T were in complete linkage disequilibrium. In boars, all SNPs were associated with the indole levels (P<0.05; P<0.01). There also were differences in the skatole levels in different genotypes, but these were not significant. No associations with androstenone levels were found. The associations of the SNPs with indole compounds should be studied in other commercial populations of boars to verify the favourable alleles and genotypes, with the prospect for their application in marker-assisted selection.