Effects of high dietary inclusion of Arthrospira platensis, either extruded or supplemented with a super-dosing multi-enzyme mixture, on broiler growth performance and major meat quality parameters.

BACKGROUND: This investigation assessed the effects of high dietary inclusion of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) on broiler chicken growth performance, meat quality and nutritional attributes. For this, 120 male broiler chicks were housed in 40 battery brooders (three birds per brooder). Initially, for 14 days, a standard corn and soybean meal diet was administered. Subsequently, from days 14 to 35, chicks were assigned to one of the four dietary treatments (n = 10 per treatment): (1) control diet (CTR); (2) diet with 15% Spirulina (SP); (3) diet with 15% extruded Spirulina (SPE); and (4) diet with 15% Spirulina plus a super-dosing enzymes supplement (0.20% pancreatin extract and 0.01% lysozyme) (SPM). RESULTS: Throughout the experimental period, both SP and SPM diets resulted in decreased final body weight and body weight gain compared to control (p < 0.001), with the SPE diet showing comparable results to CTR. The SPE diet prompted an increase in average daily feed intake (p = 0.026). However, all microalga treatments increased the feed conversion ratio compared to CTR. Dietary inclusion of Spirulina notably increased intestinal content viscosity (p < 0.010), which was mitigated by the SPM diet. Spirulina supplementation led to lower pH levels in breast meat 24 h post-mortem and heightened the b* colour value in both breast and thigh meats (p < 0.010). Furthermore, Spirulina contributed to an increased accumulation of total carotenoids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and saturated fatty acids (SFA), while diminishing n-6 PUFA, thus altering the n-6/n-3 and PUFA/SFA ratios favourably (p < 0.001). However, it also reduced zinc concentration in breast meat (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that high Spirulina levels in broiler diets impair growth due to increased intestinal viscosity, and that extrusion pre-treatment mitigates this effect. Despite reducing digesta viscosity, a super-dosing enzyme mix did not improve growth. Data also indicates that Spirulina enriches meat with antioxidants and n-3 PUFA but reduces α-tocopherol and increases saturated fats. Reduced zinc content in meat suggests the need for Spirulina biofortification to maintain its nutritional value.

Effect of thyme, ginger, and their nano-particles on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and intestinal bacteriology of broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of thyme, ginger, and their nano-particles, as alternatives to antibiotic growth promotors (AGP), on productive performance, carcass traits, meat quality and gut health of broiler chickens. A total of 270 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 6 groups, each consisting of 3 replicates (n = 15 chicks/replicate). The birds in group 1 were fed the control diet which contained neither antibiotic growth promotors nor phytogenic feed additives (PFA). Birds in group 2 were fed diets containing 0.05% of AGP (Bacitracin methylene disalicylate). Chicks in group 3 and 4 were fed diets supplemented with 1.0% of thyme and ginger, respectively, whereas birds in group 5 and 6 were offered diets including 0.10% of nano-thyme and nano-ginger, respectively. The experiment lasted for 35 days. It was found that thyme and ginger with their nano-products, like the antibiotic, improved the body weight, weight gain and feed conversion rate of birds. The effect of ginger and nano-ginger on body weight and weight gain was greater than other treatments. During the overall feeding period, the feed cost of production was the highest in antibiotic group, but was the lowest in ginger and nano-ginger treatments. There was no effect of dietary treatments on carcass yield or organs weight except bursa of Fabricius and abdominal fat. Thyme, ginger and their nano-composites increased the weight of bursa and reduced the abdominal fat amount. The phytogenic additives and their nano-particles improved the colour, water holding capacity, and flavor of meat. Moreover, these additives reduced the total intestinal bacterial count as well as the total aerobic mesophilic count of meat. The effect of PFA and their nano-particles on the bacterial count was similar to that of antibiotic. In conclusion, thyme and ginger with their nano- particles can be considered as promising agents in feeding of broilers to improve the growth performance, gut health and meat quality. Moreover, these additives can be used as alternatives to AGP to overcome its health hazards and the high cost. The nanotechnology of herbal plants enables them to be added in smaller amounts in poultry diets with producing the same effect of raw ingredients, and this could be due to the higher bioavailability.

Cinnamaldehyde affects lipid droplets metabolism after adipogenic differentiation of C2C12 cells.

BACKGROUND: Based on our previous research conducted on cinnamaldehyde (CA) exhibiting its ability to improve the growth performance of fattening pigs and the adipogenesis induction model of C2C12 cells constructed in our laboratory, we explored the effects of CA on the generation and development of lipid droplets (LDs) in adipogenic differentiated C2C12 cells. METHODS AND RESULTS: C2C12 cells were treated with either 0.4 mM or 0.8 mM CA. BODIPY staining and triglyceride measurements were conducted to observe the morphology of LDs, and Western blotting was used to measure the expression of their metabolism-related proteins. The results showed that the average number of LDs in the CA treatment groups was more than the control group (P < 0.05), whereas the average LD size and triglyceride content decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression levels of fusion-related genes in the LDs of the CA treatment group significantly decreased, while decomposition-related genes and autophagy-related genes in the LDs in C2C12 cells significantly increased (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Cinnamaldehyde promoted the decomposition and autophagy of lipid droplets in C2C12 cells and inhibited the fusion of lipid droplets.

Effect of stocking density on performance, meat quality and cecal bacterial communities of yellow feather broilers.

Totally, 315 42-day-old male Xueshan chickens were allocated into 3 caging densities, 14, 21 and 28 birds/m2. Each treatment was represented by 5 replicates. The body weight (BW), slaughter performance, meat quality, behavioral assessment, and the cecal microorganisms were detected at the market age. The results showed that the BW of broilers in the low- and medium-density groups was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than that of the high-density group from the age of 10 weeks. Only the feather quality of the broilers in the low-density group improved significantly (p < 0.05) compared with those of the other two groups. And, the abdominal fat percentage and the fat content of thigh muscle of broilers in the low- and medium-density groups were higher (p < 0.05) than those in the high-density group. No significant difference (p > 0.05) was noted in the other traits. The abundance of some microbial like Akkermansiaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Faecalibacterium may be correlated with the BW and fat content of broilers. The findings of this study suggest that increasing the stocking density decreased the final BW, fat content and the feather quality, whereas no evidence was found that stocking density caused changes in other parameters.

Carcass and meat quality of red-winged tinamou (Rhynchotus rufescens) selected for muscle growth.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of selection for body growth and its association with carcass and meat quality traits in the red-winged tinamou. Two experimental groups were selected based on the selection index: selection group with a higher index (TinamouS) and commercial group with a lower index (TinamouC). Weight at 180 days and slaughter weight were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the TinamouS group, as were hot carcass weight, skinless breast weight, wing weight, and thigh and drumstick weight. The meat quality traits or sensory attributes did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) between groups. A significant positive correlation (0.59; p < 0.05) was found between shear force and chewability and a significant negative correlation (- 0.59; p < 0.05) between aroma intensity and strange aroma. The present study suggests that the selection index promotes greater body growth and preserves meat quality and sensory traits in red-winged tinamou.

Sequence and haplotypes of ankyrin 1 gene (ANK1) and their association with carcass and meat quality traits in yak.

Ankyrin 1 (ANK1) gene has been demonstrated to be a functional candidate gene for meat quality that helps to constitute and maintain the structure of the cell skeleton. In this study, three contiguous ANK1 regions from yak were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-single-stranded conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). As a result, nine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, four of them in the coding region and three (c.179 C/A, c.250 G/C, and c.313 C/T) putatively resulting in amino acid changes (p. Ala 60 Glu, p. Asp 84 His, and p. Pro 105 Ser). Some SNPs in promoter region were located within or nearby the putative transcription factor binding sites, such as Sp1 and GATA, which might have an impact on the expression of the yak ANK1 gene. The presence of C1-D3 and C1-A3 were associated with an increased hot carcass weight (p = 0.0045) and a decreased drip loss rate (p = 0.0046). The presence of B1-B3, C1-A3 and C1-D3 had decreased Warner-Bratzler shear force (p = 0.0066, p = 0.0343 and p = 0.0004). The presence of one and two copies of B1-B3 and C1-A3 had decreased Warner-Bratzler shear force (p = 0.0005 and p = 0.0443), and C1-A3 had also decreased drip loss rate (p = 0.0164). These findings indicated that genetic variations of the ANK1 gene would be a preferable biomarker for the improvement of yak meat quality.

Enhancing the value of meat inspection records for broiler health and welfare surveillance: longitudinal detection of relational patterns.

BACKGROUND: Abattoir data are under-used for surveillance. Nationwide surveillance could benefit from using data on meat inspection findings, but several limitations need to be overcome. At the producer level, interpretation of meat inspection findings is a notable opportunity for surveillance with relevance to animal health and welfare. In this study, we propose that discovery and monitoring of relational patterns between condemnation conditions co-present in broiler batches at meat inspection can provide valuable information for surveillance of farmed animal health and welfare. RESULTS: Great Britain (GB)-based integrator meat inspection records for 14,045 broiler batches slaughtered in nine, four monthly intervals were assessed for the presence of surveillance indicators relevant to broiler health and welfare. K-means and correlation-based hierarchical clustering, and association rules analyses were performed to identify relational patterns in the data. Incidence of condemnation showed seasonal and temporal variation, which was detected by association rules analysis. Syndrome-related and non-specific relational patterns were detected in some months of meat inspection records. A potentially syndromic cluster was identified in May 2016 consisting of infection-related conditions: pericarditis, perihepatitis, peritonitis, and abnormal colour. Non-specific trends were identified in some months as an unusual combination of condemnation reasons in broiler batches. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the detection of relational patterns in meat inspection records could provide producer-level surveillance indicators with relevance to broiler chicken health and welfare.

Gene and protein expression of myosin heavy chain in Nellore cattle comparing growth or meat tenderness traits.

The objective was to investigate gene and protein expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) in Nellore cattle slaughtered at different weights (BW) or degrees of meat tenderness. Ninety animals with initial BW 370 ± 37 kg, 24 months of age, were slaughtered after 95 days on feed. We evaluated shear force (SF), myofibrillar fragmentation index, ribeye area, backfat thickness, marbling, color, and cooking losses. Subsequently, 24 animals were selected and divided into four contrasting groups, in which light (BW = 504.58 ± 32.36 kg) versus heavy animals (BW = 604.83 ± 42.97 kg) and animals with tender (SF = 3.88 ± 0.57 kg) versus tough meat (SF = 7.95 ± 1.04 kg) were compared. The MYH7, MYH2 and MYH1 genes were analyzed by real-time PCR. The MyHC isoforms (MyHC-I, MyHC-IIa, and MyHC-IIx) were quantified by SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. We found lower expression of MYH2 and MYH1 genes in heavy compared to light animals and a higher amount of MyHC-I isoform in the tough meat group compared to the tender meat group. Protein expression of MyHC-IIa was higher in the tender meat group. A negative correlation was found of this protein and SF (tenderness), suggesting MyHC-IIa as a biomarker of meat quality.

Dicrocoelium spp. in cattle from Wa, Ghana: prevalence and phylogeny based on 28S rRNA.

Dicrocoeliosis is a trematode infection in cattle, sheep and goats caused by the small liver fluke, Dicrocoelium spp. Though endemic in Ghana, its disease situation is poorly understood. In the present study, the prevalence, distribution and worm load of Dicrocoelium spp. in cattle at slaughter in Wa were determined. A total of 389 cattle were screened during meat inspection for liver flukes, and polymerase chain reaction accompanied by DNA sequencing of the 28S rRNA gene was used to identify Dicrocoelium spp. Generally, prevalence of bovine dicrocoeliosis (small liver fluke) stood at 19.54 % with prevalence in males and females being 17.62 % and 21.43 %, respectively. Animals under 2 years suffered more infection than older ones (23.08 % vs. 16.80 %). Dicrocoelium infection was recorded in animals from all the communities where slaughtered cattle came from. On average, 31 flukes per infected animal were recorded. A molecular confirmatory test on seven flukes identified them as D. hospes. This preliminary study highlights the importance of bovine dicrocoeliosis in Ghana and has identified D. hospes as a causal agent. The data provides basis for further studies to appraise the trematode disease situation in animals and phylogeny of Dicrocoelium spp. circulating in Ghana.

Effect of Age and Breed on Carcass and Meat Quality Characteristics of Beni-Guil and Ouled-Djellal Sheep Breeds.

Two hundred eight sheep, belonging to two main breeds of eastern Morocco, "Beni-Guil" and "Ouled-Djellal," were investigated for carcass traits and meat quality. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of breed and age at slaughter on carcass traits and meat quality. The animals were slaughtered at three age classes: milk teeth, animals with two adult teeth, and adult animals. Dressing percentage, carcass measurements, compactness indices, carcass shrinkage parameter, conformation scores, fatness state, fat consistency, fat and meat colour, and pH were measured 24 hours postmortem. The results showed that the dressing percentage, carcass measurements, and compactness indices increased with slaughter age (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the effect of breed was higher for Ouled-Djellal breed of carcass characteristics (p < 0.01). However, no significant effect was observed for carcass shrinkage parameter. The longissimus lumborum muscle was used to determine the meat colour, which ranged from 23.89 to 21.96, while the ultimate pH ranged from 5.70 to 5.82. These results were influenced by age at slaughter (p < 0.05) but not influenced by breed. Breed and age at slaughter had a significant influence on carcass traits (p < 0.001). The present study provided a new insight into the effect of breed and age at slaughter on carcass and meat traits of both "Beni-Guil-PGI" and Ouled-Djellal sheep breeds.

Omics-Based Analytical Approaches for Assessing Chicken Species and Breeds in Food Authentication.

Chicken is known to be the most common meat type involved in food mislabeling and adulteration. Establishing a method to authenticate chicken content precisely and identifying chicken breeds as declared in processed food is crucial for protecting consumers' rights. Categorizing the authentication method into their respective omics disciplines, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, and glycomics, and the implementation of bioinformatics or chemometrics in data analysis can assist the researcher in improving the currently available techniques. Designing a vast range of instruments and analytical methods at the molecular level is vital for overcoming the technical drawback in discriminating chicken from other species and even within its breed. This review aims to provide insight and highlight previous and current approaches suitable for countering different circumstances in chicken authentication.

Ginseng Prong Added to Broiler Diets Reduces Lipid Peroxidation in Refrigerated and Frozen Stored Poultry Meats.

Fatty acid content and lipid oxidation products were compared in chicken breast and leg meats derived from birds fed on animal-fat- and vegetable-oil-based diets, supplemented with ginseng prong powder. The first experiment examined polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content and the formation of primary and secondary lipid oxidation products in meats stored at refrigeration temperatures (4 °C) for up to 10 days, while the second experiment examined similar changes in the poultry meats when frozen stored at -18 °C, for up to six months. Results showed that initial lipid hydroperoxide concentrations increased in both breast and leg meat within the first week of refrigerated storage and also was ongoing during the first three to four months of frozen storage. A higher (p < 0.05) PUFA content in leg meat, especially in broilers fed a vegetable-oil-blended diet, corresponded to greater tendency for generation of primary lipid oxidation products after refrigerated and frozen storage (p < 0.05). The inclusion of powdered ginseng prong in broiler diets significantly inhibited (p < 0.05) secondary lipid oxidation products (e.g., malonaldehyde [MDA]) formation in both stored leg and breast meat, compared to controls. Significant interactions (p < 0.05) were obtained for storage time and inclusion of ginseng against production of primary and secondary lipid oxidation in broiler breast and leg meats from broilers fed PUFA-containing diets. We conclude that including ginseng prong in broiler growing diets represents a viable strategy to control lipid oxidation in refrigerated/cold-stored meat products.

Mind your meat: Religious differences in the social perception of animals.

While previous work demonstrated that animals are categorised based on their edibility, little research has systematically evaluated the role of religion in the perception of animal edibility, particularly when specific animals are deemed sacred in a religion. In two studies, we explored a key psychological mechanism through which sacred animals are deemed inedible by members of a faith: mind attribution. In Study 1, non-vegetarian Hindus in Singapore (N = 70) evaluated 19 animals that differed in terms of their sacredness and edibility. Results showed that participants categorised animals into three groups: holy animals (high sacredness but low edibility), food animals (low sacredness but high edibility) and neutral animals (low sacredness and low edibility). Holy animals were deemed to possess greater mental life compared to other animal categories. In Study 2, we replicated this key finding with Hindus in India (N = 100), and further demonstrated that the observed pattern of results was specific to Hindus but not Muslims (N = 90). In both studies, mind attribution mediated the negative association between sacredness and edibility. Our findings illustrate how religious groups diverge in animal perception, thereby highlighting the role of mind attribution as a crucial link between sacredness and edibility.

Performance of Black Bengal goat: a 50-year review.

Black Bengal goat (BBG) is the most widely recognized legacy goat breed in Bangladesh. The breed is black in color yet likewise earthy, white, or dim colors additionally found. The breed has medium body size with grown-up weight 25-30 kg, little horns, short legs, and tight body structure. The BBG is one of the most compliant, all around adjusted, early maturing, prolific, productive, and tropical disease-resistant goat types of the world that produces incredible quality meat, milk, and skin. The breed is versatile in hot, moist, cruel, climatic conditions and flourishes well on a cacophonous dietary regimen from uncultivable decrepit grounds, residences, riversides, banks, sloping, and hilly territories where crop culture or dairy nourishing is inconceivable. In Bangladesh, the BBG is one of the main red meat-producing small ruminants which shares remarkable local interest during Eid-Ul-Adha, Eid-Ul-Fitr, wedding ceremony, birthday festival, circumcision, memorial programs, and other social celebrations with no social, cultural, and religious limitations. Being little in size, the BBG has been an amazing asset to advance supportable vocations for the negligible, little, and landless ranchers who rely upon free regular grazing lands for raising domesticated animals. Regardless of incredibly exceptional components and features, the production of BBG has not yet been popularized widely since meager consideration has been paid for improving their efficiency. Development of cutting edge hereditary, dietary, and health as well as disease control procedure and utilization of modern management frameworks may procure considerable changes in improving the overall performance of the BBG.

Identification of eQTLs and sQTLs associated with meat quality in beef.

BACKGROUND: Transcription has a substantial genetic control and genetic dissection of gene expression could help us understand the genetic architecture of complex phenotypes such as meat quality in cattle. The objectives of the present research were: 1) to perform eQTL and sQTL mapping analyses for meat quality traits in longissimus dorsi muscle; 2) to uncover genes whose expression is influenced by local or distant genetic variation; 3) to identify expression and splicing hot spots; and 4) to uncover genomic regions affecting the expression of multiple genes. RESULTS: Eighty steers were selected for phenotyping, genotyping and RNA-seq evaluation. A panel of traits related to meat quality was recorded in longissimus dorsi muscle. Information on 112,042 SNPs and expression data on 8588 autosomal genes and 87,770 exons from 8467 genes were included in an expression and splicing quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping (eQTL and sQTL, respectively). A gene, exon and isoform differential expression analysis previously carried out in this population identified 1352 genes, referred to as DEG, as explaining part of the variability associated with meat quality traits. The eQTL and sQTL mapping was performed using a linear regression model in the R package Matrix eQTL. Genotype and year of birth were included as fixed effects, and population structure was accounted for by including as a covariate the first PC from a PCA analysis on genotypic data. The identified QTLs were classified as cis or trans using 1 Mb as the maximum distance between the associated SNP and the gene being analyzed. A total of 8377 eQTLs were identified, including 75.6% trans, 10.4% cis, 12.5% DEG trans and 1.5% DEG cis; while 11,929 sQTLs were uncovered: 66.1% trans, 16.9% DEG trans, 14% cis and 3% DEG cis. Twenty-seven expression master regulators and 13 splicing master regulators were identified and were classified as membrane-associated or cytoskeletal proteins, transcription factors or DNA methylases. These genes could control the expression of other genes through cell signaling or by a direct transcriptional activation/repression mechanism. CONCLUSION: In the present analysis, we show that eQTL and sQTL mapping makes possible positional identification of gene and isoform expression regulators.

Interplay among miR-29 family, mineral metabolism, and gene regulation in Bos indicus muscle.

An interplay between gene expression, mineral concentration, and beef quality traits in Bos indicus muscle has been reported previously under a network approach. However, growing evidence suggested that miRNAs not only modulate gene expression but are also involved with mineral homeostasis. To our knowledge, understanding of the miRNA-gene expression-mineral concentration relationship in mammals is still minimal. Therefore, we carried out a miRNA co-expression and multi-level miRNA-mRNA integration analyses to predict the putative drivers (miRNAs and genes) associated with muscle mineral concentration in Nelore steers. In this study, we identified calcium and iron to be the pivotal minerals associated with miRNAs and gene targets. Furthermore, we identified the miR-29 family (miR-29a, -29b, -29c, -29d-3p, and -29e) as the putative key regulators modulating mineral homeostasis. The miR-29 family targets genes involved with AMPK, insulin, mTOR, and thyroid hormone signaling pathways. Finally, we reported an interplay between miRNAs and minerals acting cooperatively to modulate co-expressed genes and signaling pathways both involved with mineral and energy homeostasis in Nelore muscle. Although we provided some evidence to understand this complex relationship, future work should determine the functional implications of minerals for miRNA levels and their feedback regulation system.\\An interplay between gene expression, mineral concentration, and beef quality traits in Bos indicus muscle has been reported previously under a network approach. However, growing evidence suggested that miRNAs not only modulate gene expression but are also involved with mineral homeostasis. To our knowledge, understanding of the miRNA-gene expression-mineral concentration relationship in mammals is still minimal. Therefore, we carried out a miRNA co-expression and multi-level miRNA-mRNA integration analyses to predict the putative drivers (miRNAs and genes) associated with muscle mineral concentration in Nelore steers. In this study, we identified calcium and iron to be the pivotal minerals associated with miRNAs and gene targets. Furthermore, we identified the miR-29 family (miR-29a, -29b, -29c, -29d-3p, and -29e) as the putative key regulators modulating mineral homeostasis. The miR-29 family targets genes involved with AMPK, insulin, mTOR, and thyroid hormone signaling pathways. Finally, we reported an interplay between miRNAs and minerals acting cooperatively to modulate co-expressed genes and signaling pathways both involved with mineral and energy homeostasis in Nelore muscle. Although we provided some evidence to understand this complex relationship, future work should determine the functional implications of minerals for miRNA levels and their feedback regulation system.

Whole-genome sequencing association analysis reveals the genetic architecture of meat quality traits in Chinese Qingyu pigs.

The Chinese Qingyu pig breed is an invaluable indigenous genetic resource. However, few studies have investigated the genetic architecture of meat quality traits in Qingyu pigs. Here, 30 purebred Qingyu pigs were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. After quality control, 18 436 759 SNPs were retained. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were then performed for meat pH and color at three postmortem time points (45 min, 24 h, and 48 h) using single-marker regression analysis. In total, 11 and 69 SNPs were associated with meat pH and color of the longissimus thoracis muscle (LTM), respectively, while 54 and 29 SNPs were associated with meat pH and color of the semimembranosus muscle (SM), respectively. Seven SNPs associated with pork pH were shared by all three postmortem time points. Several candidate genes for meat traits were identified, including four genes (CXXC5, RYR3, BNIP3, and MYCT1) related to skeletal muscle development, regulation of Ca2+ release in the muscle, and anaerobic respiration, which are promising candidates for selecting superior meat quality traits in Qingyu pigs. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating the postmortem genetic architecture of pork pH and color in Qingyu pigs. Our findings further the current understanding of the genetic factors influencing meat quality.

Detection of porcine-derived ingredients from adulterated meat based on real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification.

Increasingly globalized and complex food supply chains contribute to a growing problem of meat fraud. Meat adulteration with pork is especially exceptionable to the global population for health concern and religious faith reasons. To prevent unfair competition and protect consumer rights, an efficient and rapid assay to identify the species of meat products is crucial. In this study, a real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (real-time LAMP) assay was developed for the detection of a porcine gene in meat products. The designed primers were highly selective for the porcine gene. The amplification showed no cross-reactivity with 11 other meats. The established method required 20 min with an initial amplification curve of approximately 10 min and demonstrated a detection limit of 1.76 pg/µL porcine DNA, which is 1000 times more sensitive than PCR. This study is the first attempt at detecting porcine-derived ingredients using a real-time LAMP assay in commercial products. This method meets specificity, rapidness, robustness, and sensitivity criteria; its practical application will greatly aid in battling adulteration in the food industry.

Use of gene expression and whole-genome sequence information to improve the accuracy of genomic prediction for carcass traits in Hanwoo cattle.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we assessed the accuracy of genomic prediction for carcass weight (CWT), marbling score (MS), eye muscle area (EMA) and back fat thickness (BFT) in Hanwoo cattle when using genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP), weighted GBLUP (wGBLUP), and a BayesR model. For these models, we investigated the potential gain from using pre-selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on imputed sequence data and from gene expression information. We used data on 13,717 animals with carcass phenotypes and imputed sequence genotypes that were split in an independent GWAS discovery set of varying size and a remaining set for validation of prediction. Expression data were used from a Hanwoo gene expression experiment based on 45 animals. RESULTS: Using a larger number of animals in the reference set increased the accuracy of genomic prediction whereas a larger independent GWAS discovery dataset improved identification of predictive SNPs. Using pre-selected SNPs from GWAS in GBLUP improved accuracy of prediction by 0.02 for EMA and up to 0.05 for BFT, CWT, and MS, compared to a 50 k standard SNP array that gave accuracies of 0.50, 0.47, 0.58, and 0.47, respectively. Accuracy of prediction of BFT and CWT increased when BayesR was applied with the 50 k SNP array (0.02 and 0.03, respectively) and was further improved by combining the 50 k array with the top-SNPs (0.06 and 0.04, respectively). By contrast, using BayesR resulted in limited improvement for EMA and MS. wGBLUP did not improve accuracy but increased prediction bias. Based on the RNA-seq experiment, we identified informative expression quantitative trait loci, which, when used in GBLUP, improved the accuracy of prediction slightly, i.e. between 0.01 and 0.02. SNPs that were located in genes, the expression of which was associated with differences in trait phenotype, did not contribute to a higher prediction accuracy. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that, in Hanwoo beef cattle, when SNPs are pre-selected from GWAS on imputed sequence data, the accuracy of prediction improves only slightly whereas the contribution of SNPs that are selected based on gene expression is not significant. The benefit of statistical models to prioritize selected SNPs for estimating genomic breeding values is trait-specific and depends on the genetic architecture of each trait.

Usual intake of meat in Australians: secondary analysis of the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey using the NCI method.

INTRODUCTION: Global public health recommendations advise limiting the intake of red and processed meats. There is a need for more comprehensive information on meat consumption in Australia, specifically usual intake of meat from a nationally representative sample. The aim of this study was to use the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method to examine usual meat intakes in the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (NNPAS). METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of the cross-sectional 2011-12 NNPAS, which contains observations for 12 153 respondents (9341 adults and 2812 children/adolescents). Usual consumption of all meat, red and processed meats was calculated using the NCI method. Consumption of meat was explored by age and gender groups, as well as by household type. RESULTS: Amongst adults and children/adolescents, consumption of all meat was significantly higher in males (adults: 187.1 g day-1 ; children/adolescents: 125.0 g day-1 ) than females (adults: 125.5 g day-1 ; children/adolescents: 95.4 g day-1 ). Similar patterns were observed for red (males: adults 85.5 g day-1 , children/adolescents 42.9 g day-1 ; females: adults 57.1 g day-1 , children/adolescents 34.9 g day-1 ) and processed meat, although intakes of processed meats in children and adolescents (males: 26.5 g day-1 ; females: 16.8 g day-1 ) were found to be similar to those of adults aged ≥19 years (males: 28.3 g day-1 ; females: 15.3 g day-1 ). Patterns of meat consumption across household types appeared to differ between genders. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that Australians are likely to be exceeding population recommendations for meat intakes, with differing patterns observed across gender and household types. These findings highlight a need for targeted dietetic and population strategies aimed at promoting a healthy consumption of meats within the Australian population.