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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Comparison of the meat quality, post-mortem muscle energy metabolism, and the expression of glycogen synthesis-related genes in three pig crossbreeds

H. G. Lei A D , L. Y. Shen A D , S. H. Zhang A , Z. H. Wu A , J. Shen B , G. Q. Tang A , Y. Z. Jiang A , M. Z. Li A , L. Bai A , X. W. Li A and L. Zhu A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A College of Animal Science & Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an 625014, China.

B Mabian Gold LiangShan Agricultural Development Co., Ltd, Mabian, Sichuan 614600, China.

C Corresponding author. Email: zhuli7508@163.com

D These authors contributed equally to this work.

Animal Production Science 55(4) 501-507 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13484
Submitted: 17 July 2013  Accepted: 20 December 2013   Published: 21 February 2014

Abstract

Post-mortem muscle energy metabolism plays an important role in pork quality. To analyse the differences of meat quality and energy metabolism, three commercial pig crossbreeds frequently used in China were studied, they were DT (Duroc × Taihu; n = 16), PIC (five-way crossbreed from Pig Improvement Co., UK; n = 29) and DLY (Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire); n = 19) pigs. The results showed that DT pigs had a higher post-mortem pH45 min and pH24 h, lower shear force and drip loss, higher muscle free-glucose and glycogen contents, and lower lactic acid content than did PIC and DLY pigs. Post-mortem muscle free-glucose content of these three pig crossbreeds changed little, from 45 min to 96 h post-mortem. The expression levels of PRKAG3 (encoding a regulatory subunit of the AMP-activated protein kinase) and GYS1 (encoding muscle glycogen synthase) genes of DT pigs were significantly lower than those of PIC and DLY pigs. DT pigs had a higher expression level of glycogenin-1-like (encoding glycogenin) gene than did PIC and DLY pigs. In conclusion, DT pigs had better meat quality than did the other two pig crossbreeds. We deduced that the post-mortem muscle energy status and metabolism of DT pigs might be an important reason for their good meat quality, and future research should focus on the molecular and physiological mechanism of post-mortem muscle energy metabolism to find ways to improve meat quality.

Additional keywords: gene expression, energy metabolism, energy status, meat quality, pig.


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