Influence of a conjugated linoleic acid mixture on growth, organ weights, carcass traits and meat quality in growing pigs.
Grain soybean meal diets, either with 2% of a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) preparation or with 2% rapeseed oil (control), were tested in 2 x 40 pigs, Pietrain x (Landrace x Large White), each group with 20 female in the live weight range 23.5-117.0 kg and 20 male-castrated pigs in the live weight range 23.5-110.6 kg. The CLA-content of the preparation amounted to 54.0% cis/trans + trans/cis, 8.7% cis/cis and 32.7% trans/trans isomers. Daily weight gain, feed intake and feed : gain ratio were not influenced by the diets tested. The carcass lean increased significantly from 57.2% of the control group to 58.7% in the CLA group (p < 0.05). The male-castrated showed a stronger CLA effect than the female pigs - not only was the carcass lean significantly increased by 2%, but backfat thickness was significantly decreased by 2.8 mm, i.e. minus 11% (as compared with barrows of the control). The meat of CLA-fed pigs had a higher conductivity. A CLA effect on further meat quality characteristics (pH 45 min post-mortem, impedance, colour criteria, intramuscular fat, drip loss, frying loss, shear force, sensory attributes) could not be detected. There were some significant correlations between the meat quality attributes.
Tischendorf
F
F
Institute of Nutrition, Department of Nutritional Physiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
Schone
F
F
Kirchheim
U
U
Jahreis
G
G
D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007536:Isomerism; D019787:Linoleic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects*; D012737:Sex Factors; D013552:Swine / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
D019787:Linoleic Acid