• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2011

Swine industry in Korea plays an important role in providing the meat for domestic consumption, and the number of pigs in Korea was about 9.72 million heads as of June, 2010. Meat quality is used to describe any traits which impact the consumer acceptability of fresh meat products. Meat color, firmness, water holding capacity, ultimate muscle $pH_{24h}$ (measured 24 hours post-mortem), shear force, and intramuscular fat percentage (IMF) are generally accepted as important indicators of meat quality and ultimately, consumer acceptance of fresh pork. The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs. The heritability estimates for muscle $pH_{24h}$, lightness (CIE $L^*$), NPPC marbling were 0.61, 0.56 and 0.57, respectively, The heritability estimates for drip loss, cooking loss, shear force were 0.51, 0.66 and 0.56, respectively. The phenotypic correlations between $pH_{24h}$ and lightness (CIE $L^*$), drip loss, cooking loss were negative, ranging from -.45 ~ -.13. The genetic correlations between muscle $pH_{24h}$ and lightness (CIE $L^*$), drip loss were negative, ranging from -.35 ~ -.32. Genetic parameters obtained herein indicate that genetic improvement of muscle $pH_{24h}$ is not related to the NPPC marbling of meat, but rather to improved lightness(CIE $L^*$) and drip loss. Genetic trends of meat quality traits showed increased muscle $pH_{24h}$ and decreased cooking loss and drip loss.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.246-253
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• 2017

Objective: Present study explores the effect of hot summer period on the glycolytic rate of early post-mortem meat quality of Ghungroo and Large White Yorkshire (LWY) pig and comparative adaptability to high temperature between above breeds by shifting the expression of stress related genes like mono-carboxylate transporters (MCTs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs). Methods: Healthy pigs of two different breeds, viz., LYW and Ghungroo (20 from each) were maintained during hot summer period (May to June) with a mean temperature of about $38^{\circ}C$. The pigs were slaughtered and meat samples from the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles were analyzed for pH, glycogen and lactate content and mRNA expression. Following 24 h of chilling, LD muscle was also taken from the carcasses to evaluate protein solubility and different meat quality measurements. Results: LWY exhibited significantly (p<0.01) higher plasma cortisol and lactate dehydrogenase concentration than Ghungroo indicating their higher sensitivity to high temperature. LD muscle from LWY pigs revealed lower initial and ultimate pH values and higher drip loss compared to Ghungroo, indicating a faster rate of pH fall. LD muscle of Ghungroo had significantly lower lactate content at 45 min postmortem indicating normal postmortem glycolysis and much slower glycolytic rate at early postmortem. LD muscle of LWY showed rapid postmortem glycolysis, higher drip loss and higher degrees of protein denaturation. Ghungroo exhibited slightly better water holding capacity, lower cooking loss and higher protein solubility. All HSPs (HSP27, HSP70, and HSP90) and MCTs (MCT1, MCT2, and MCT4) in the LD muscle of pigs inclined to increase more in Ghungroo than LWY when exposed to high temperature. Conclusion: Effect of high temperature on the variation of HSPs and MCTs may play a crucial role in thermal tolerance and adaptation to different climatic conditions, pH regulation, muscle acidification, drip loss, protein denaturation and also in postmortem meat quality development.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.251-265
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• 2024

Meat derived from skeletal muscles of animals is a highly nutritious type of food, and different meat types differ in nutritional, sensory, and quality properties. This study was conducted to compare the results of previous studies on the muscle fiber characteristics of major porcine skeletal muscles to the end of providing basic data for understanding differences in physicochemical and nutritional properties between different porcine muscle types (or meat cuts). Specifically, the muscle fiber characteristics between 19 major porcine skeletal muscles were compared. The muscle fibers that constitute porcine skeletal muscle can be classified into several types based on their contractile and metabolic characteristics. In addition, the muscle fiber characteristics, including size, composition, and density, of each muscle type were investigated and a technology based on these muscle fiber characteristics for improving meat quality or preventing quality deterioration was briefly discussed. This comparative review revealed that differences in muscle fiber characteristics are primarily responsible for the differences in quality between pork cuts (muscle types) and also suggested that data on muscle fiber characteristics can be used to develop optimal meat storage and packaging technologies for each meat cut (or muscle type).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1529-1539
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• 2012

A whole genome association (WGA) study was performed to detect significant polymorphisms for meat quality traits in an $F_2$ cross population (N = 478) that were generated with Korean native pig sires and Landrace dams in National Livestock Research Institute, Songwhan, Korea. The animals were genotyped using Illumina porcine 60k SNP beadchips, in which a set of 46,865 SNPs were available for the WGA analyses on ten carcass quality traits; live weight, crude protein, crude lipids, crude ash, water holding capacity, drip loss, shear force, CIE L, CIE a and CIE b. Phenotypes were regressed on additive and dominance effects for each SNP using a simple linear regression model, after adjusting for sex, sire and slaughter stage as fixed effects. With the significant SNPs for each trait (p<0.001), a stepwise regression procedure was applied to determine the best set of SNPs with the additive and/or dominance effects. A total of 106 SNPs, or quantitative trait loci (QTL) were detected, and about 32 to 66% of the total phenotypic variation was explained by the significant SNPs for each trait. The QTL were identified in most porcine chromosomes (SSCs), in which majority of the QTL were detected in SSCs 1, 2, 12, 13, 14 and 16. Several QTL clusters were identified on SSCs 12, 16 and 17, and a cluster of QTL influencing crude protein, crude lipid, drip loss, shear force, CIE a and CIE b were located between 20 and 29 Mb of SSC12. A pleiotropic QTL for drip loss, CIE L and CIE b was also detected on SSC16. These QTL need to be validated in commercial pig populations for genetic improvement in meat quality via marker-assisted selection.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.639-644
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the myosin light chain (MLC) isoforms on the muscle fiber characteristics and meat quality traits in porcine longissimus muscle. Pale, soft, exudative (PSE) samples had a lower content of essential light chain (ELC) 1S isoforms and a higher proportion of the fiber type IIB than the reddish-pink, firm, non-exudative (RFN) samples. These compositions suggest that the PSE pork has a higher glycolytic and a lower oxidative capacity than the RFN pork. Therefore, these characteristics of PSE pork might affect the metabolic rate and meat quality traits, including protein solubility. In addition, the indicator traits of the postmortem metabolic rate were related to the ELC 1F/3F ratio ($pH_{45\;min}$: r = -0.43, P < 0.001; R-value: r = 0.53, P < 0.001). These results suggest that the MLC isoform composition can affect the postmortem metabolic rate and meat quality traits.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.595-606
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• 2022

Industrial pig breeding has used the Duroc breed and terminal sires in a three-way crossbred system in Korea. This study identified the gene variation patterns related to carcass quality in crossbred pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) using whole-exome sequencing (WES). This study used crossbred pigs and divided them into two groups (first plus grade, n = 5; second grade, n = 5). Genomic DNA samples extracted from the loin muscles of both groups were submitted for WES. A set of validated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs: n = 102) were also subjected to the Kompetitive allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (KASP) to confirm the WES results in the loin muscles. Based on the WES, SNPs associated with meat quality were found on chromosomes 5, 10, and 15. We identified variations in three of the candidate genes, including kinesin family member 5B (KIF5B), GLI family zinc finger 2 (GLI2), and KIF26B, that were associated with meat color, marbling score, and backfat thickness. These genes were associated with meat quality and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathways in the crossbred pigs. These results may help clarify the mechanisms underlying high-quality meat in pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.898-907
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• 2005

Chromium has emerged as an essential trace mineral in nutrition. However, it readily causes toxicity because of slightly excessive dose and/or form of chromium supplement. Therefore, developing a noble form of chromium supplement which is capable of not only an increased availability but also a reduced toxicity has been a critical issue in chromium nutrition. Chromium-methionine chelate has been, so far, one of the latest developments in its kind. Although not much information is available for the chromium-methionine chelate, especially in view of animal performances upon dietary supplementation, several studies indicated chromium methionine chelate could be effective to improve meat quality by increasing muscle mass but decreasing body fat. Highly-graded beef was produced by dietary chromium methionine supplementation during fattening stage of Korean native steers. Body muscle was increased in replace of decreasing body fat in both pig and rat that were dietary supplemented with chromium methionine chelate. However, a pig farm study did not show any significant improvement of body gain upon supplementation of chromium methionine. Immune responses of pig and rat were not always dependent upon chromium form but were varied by species. These results suggest there could be a different mode of responses due to species as well as onset time of dietary supplementation of chromium methionine. It is still early to conclude the bio-efficacy of chromium methionine chelate presumably due to its recent appearance into the field. But the chelate is certainly worth more application to animal since it certainly reduced the application level of dietary chromium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1181-1187
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• 2016

The objective of the study was to evaluate fattening performance, carcass value and meat quality in pigs of Prestice Black-Pied breed in relation to slaughter weight (SW) and gender (barrows and gilts, resp.). Pigs were divided into weight categories: SW1 (75 to 99.9 kg), SW2 (100 to 109.9 kg) and SW3 (110 to 130 kg) and all individual traits were analyzed by the general linear model procedure (SAS 9.3). Average SW of each weight group was as follows: SW1 94.2 kg, SW2 105.8 kg, and SW3 115.2 kg. Differences among average backfat thickness of 36.07 mm in SW1, 40.16 mm in SW2, and 43.21 mm in SW3 were significant (p<0.01). Lean meat content was 48.94% (SW1), 48.78% (SW2), and 48.76% (SW3). Pigs were slaughtered at average weight of 105.7 kg for barrows and 104.4 kg for gilts. Average backfat thickness for barrows was 40.90 mm and 38.72 mm for gilts (significant difference p<0.05). Lean meat content was 48.75% in barrows and 48.91% in gilts. The values of pH45, characterizing the meat of very good quality. The loin in SW3 was darker than the muscles of SW1 and SW2. Drip loss was the lowest in SW1 (1.96%), compared to the highest drip loss in SW3 (2.59%). Content of intramuscular fat was 2.68% in SW3, 2.79% in SW2, and SW1 had the lowest content 2.47%. The values of pH45, colour lightness and drip loss were similar in both genders. However barrows had higher intramuscular fat content by 0.31% than gilts (p<0.05).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1651-1659
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• 2011

This study was conducted to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for thirteen growth and meat quality traits in pigs by combing QTL experimental populations. Two F2 reference populations that were sired by Korea native pig (KNP) and dammed by Landrace (LN) or Yorkshire (YK) were generated to construct linkage maps using 123 genetic markers (mostly microsatellites) and to perform QTL analysis on porcine chromosomes (SSCs) 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14, and 15. A set of line-cross models was applied to detect QTL, and a series of lack-of-fit tests between the models was used to characterize inheritance mode of QTL. A total of 23, 11 and 19 QTL were detected at 5% chromosome-wise level for the data sets of KNP${\times}$LN, KNP${\times}$YK cross and joint sets of the two cross populations, respectively. With the joint data, two Mendelian expressed QTL for live weight and cooking loss were detected on SSC3 and SSC15 at 1% chromosome-wise level, respectively. Another Mendelian expressed QTL was detected for CIE a on SSC7 at 5% genome-wise level. Our results suggest that QTL analysis by combining data from two QTL populations increase power for QTL detection, which could provide more accurate genetic information in subsequent marker-assisted selection.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.121-132
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• 2008

A total of 100 pigs were used to investigate the effects of pig breed on proximate, physicochemical, cholesterol, amino acid, fatty acid and sensory properties of loins. Crossbred pigs were alloted into one of five experimental groups [×Duroc(LYD), ×Berkshire (YBB), British Berkshire(BB), Kagoshima Berkshire(KB), Korean native black pig×Wild boars(KW; Sus coraanus)]. Pigs were slaughtered at 110 kg live weight. Moisture content was significantly(p<0.05) higher in KW than those of other pig breeds. Crude protein content was significantly(p<0.05) higher in YBB and KW than in LYD, BB, and KB. Cholesterol content was significantly(p<0.05) higher in YBB than those of other pig breeds. WHC and pH value had lower and shear force had higher(p<0.05) in YBB than those of other pig breeds. In color, LYD was significantly(p<0.05) higher in L* than those of other pig breeds. There was no significant different in a* and brittleness value among the breeds. In fatty acid and amino acid composition, KW had a higher(p<0.05) UFA/SFA, EFA/UFA ratio and EAA content but lower (p<0.05) SAAA. Total amino acid content was significantly(p<0.05) higher in LYD(20.44%) and BB (20.81%) than those of other pig breeds. In fresh meat, breeds affected meat color, drip loss, marbling score, and overall acceptability(p<0.05). Nevertheless, no significant differences were found among the breeds in the sensory parameters evaluated in the cooked meat, except for flavor