• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2020

The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of music enrichment on the live body weight of chickens and meat quality grade of the carcasses. Fourteen flocks at four broiler farms with identical windowless houses were provided with identical starter and finisher diets. These were either exposed to classical music or not exposed to any music from the starter to slaughter age. At 30 days posthatch, the chickens were transported from farms to a slaughterhouse. Two hundred carcasses from each flock were randomly selected for measurement of the carcass traits by the licensed meat inspectors at the slaughterhouse. The live body weights at the slaughter age were not significantly different between the two treatments. In addition, music enrichment did not affect meat freshness (i.e., torrymeter values) nor did it affect other carcass trait variables including percentage of bruises, flesh blemishes, abnormalities, and quality A grade. In conclusion, music enrichment did not affect the body weight or carcass quality of broiler chickens.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.449-454
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• 2012

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the plane of nutrition on growth performance and meat quality traits, especially marbling and PSE (pale, soft, and exudative), in finishing pigs. One hundred and four barrows and 102 gilts born to Yorkshire ${\times}$ Landrace dams and Duroc sires were randomly allocated to 16 pens at approximately 80-kg body weight, with 13 animals housed per pen except for two pens. Each eight pens received a diet containing either 3.4 Mcal ME/kg and 0.98% total lysine (high plane) or 3.1 Mcal ME/kg and 0.81% total lysine (medium plane). All animals were slaughtered at approximately 112 kg BW on an average, after which the Longissimus muscle (LM) was analyzed physicochemically. The ADG, ADFI, gain:feed as well as marbling score did not differ between the two dietary groups, whereas backfat thickness was greater in the high-plane group than in the medium-plane group (24.1 vs. 22.5 mm P<0.05). No LM exhibited PSE, i.e. $L^*$ (lightness) > 50, pH < 6.0 and drip loss > 5.0%, nor were these PSE-related variables influenced by the dietary treatment. Contents of crude protein and fat in LM did not differ between the two dietary groups. In conclusion, the present results suggest that growth performance and the occurrence of the PSE or 'watery' carcass are not influenced significantly by increasing the plane of nutrition in finishing pigs when the finisher is adequate nutritionally for supporting maximal lean growth. However, increasing the plane of nutrition is likely to result in an increase in fat deposition.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.1219-1227
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• 2014

A whole genome association (WGA) study was carried out to find quantitative trait loci (QTL) for sensory evaluation traits in Hanwoo. Carcass samples of 250 Hanwoo steers were collected from National Agricultural Cooperative Livestock Research Institute, Ansung, Gyeonggi province, Korea, between 2011 and 2012 and genotyped with the Affymetrix Bovine Axiom Array 640K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) chip. Among the SNPs in the chip, a total of 322,160 SNPs were chosen after quality control tests. After adjusting for the effects of age, slaughter-year-season, and polygenic effects using genome relationship matrix, the corrected phenotypes for the sensory evaluation measurements were regressed on each SNP using a simple linear regression additive based model. A total of 1,631 SNPs were detected for color, aroma, tenderness, juiciness and palatability at 0.1% comparison-wise level. Among the significant SNPs, the best set of 52 SNP markers were chosen using a forward regression procedure at 0.05 level, among which the sets of 8, 14, 11, 10, and 9 SNPs were determined for the respectively sensory evaluation traits. The sets of significant SNPs explained 18% to 31% of phenotypic variance. Three SNPs were pleiotropic, i.e. AX-26703353 and AX-26742891 that were located at 101 and 110 Mb of BTA6, respectively, influencing tenderness, juiciness and palatability, while AX-18624743 at 3 Mb of BTA10 affected tenderness and palatability. Our results suggest that some QTL for sensory measures are segregating in a Hanwoo steer population. Additional WGA studies on fatty acid and nutritional components as well as the sensory panels are in process to characterize genetic architecture of meat quality and palatability in Hanwoo.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.515-520
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• 2013

Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) is a key regulatory enzyme in the glycolytic pathway. It is one of four pyruvate kinase isoenzymes that widely differ in their occurrence according to tissue type. PKM2 is expressed in differentiated tissues, such as fat tissues, lung, as well as normal proliferating cells, embryonic cells, and tumor cells. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PKM2 gene with meat quality traits in Berkshire pigs. We detected a SNP (g.34341 A>G) in the 3'UTR region of the PKM2 gene in 670 Berkshire pigs through DNA sequencing. Three genotypes, AA, AG, and GG, were found for this SNP, but based on an association analysis with meat quality traits, genotype AA was significantly associated with thicker back fat than genotype GG (p=0.027). Therefore, the g.34341 A>G polymorphism in the 3'UTR region of the porcine PKM2 gene could be applied in pig breeding programs to improve back fat thickness.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1150-1159
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• 2018

Objective: Non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (nsSNPs) were identified in Berkshire selective sweep regions and then were investigated to discover genetic nsSNP mechanisms that were potentially associated with Berkshire domestication and meat quality. We further used bioinformatics tools to predict damaging amino-acid substitutions in Berkshire-related nsSNPs. Methods: nsSNPs were examined in whole genome resequencing data of 110 pigs, including 14 Berkshire pigs, generated using the Illumina Hiseq2000 platform to identify variations that might affect meat quality in Berkshire pigs. Results: Total 65,550 nsSNPs were identified in the mapped regions; among these, 319 were found in Berkshire selective-sweep regions reported in a previous study. Genes encompassing these nsSNPs were involved in lipid metabolism, intramuscular fatty-acid deposition, and muscle development. The effects of amino acid change by nsSNPs on protein functions were predicted using sorting intolerant from tolerant and polymorphism phenotyping V2 to reveal their potential roles in biological processes that may correlate with the unique Berkshire meat-quality traits. Conclusion: Our nsSNP findings confirmed the history of Berkshire pigs and illustrated the effects of domestication on generic-variation patterns. Our novel findings, which are generally consistent with those of previous studies, facilitated a better understanding of Berkshire domestication. In summary, we extensively investigated the relationship between genomic composition and phenotypic traits by scanning for nsSNPs in large-scale whole-genome sequencing data.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1548-1557
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• 2019

Objective: To investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with different levels and molecular weights of fungal ${\beta}$-glucan on productive performances, health, carcass traits and meat quality in broilers. Methods: Two hundred and ten of one-day-old chicks with equal sex were assigned to seven experimental groups in $2{\times}4$ factorial arrangement. These groups were supplemented with (0, 10, 30, and 60 ppm) of molecular weight 1-3, 1-6 ${\beta}$-glucan (low or high). High molecular weight ${\beta}$-glucan (H: 943 kDa) was obtained from Ophiocordyceps dipterigena BCC 2073, whereas H with ${\gamma}$-Irradiation treatment was performed to achieve low molecular weight ${\beta}$-glucan (L: 8 kDa). Results: There was no statistical significance in productive performances, apparent digestibility and interaction between fixed factors along 42 days of experiment (p>0.05). A higher caecal amylase activity was present in the group that received L, while there was a dramatic decrease in H and the control groups, respectively (p<0.05). The increase of supplemental dose increased caecal amylase activity (p<0.05). Immunomodulatory effects from L was revealed by the marked increase of phagocytic activity, relative weight of thymus and bursa of fabricius (p<0.05). Similarly, the additive dose at 30 ppm provided the same results, whereas the only significant difference with supplementation at 60 ppm was an increase in phagocytic activity (p<0.05). Interestingly, villi height of broilers fed L was higher than other groups (p<0.05). The treatments did not influence haematology, blood chemistry, antibody production level against vaccination, carcass traits and meat quality (p>0.05). Conclusion: The supplementation of L at 30 ppm was suggested to achieve benefits of immune modulation without adverse effects on other parameters.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1510-1518
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• 2010

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of lighting schedule and nutrient density on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 576 day old Arbor Acre male chickens was used with a $4{\times}2$ factorial arrangement. The four lighting schedules were continuous (23 L:1 D, CL), 20 L:4 D (12 L:2 D:8 L:2 D), 16 L:8 D (12 L:3 D:2 L:3 D: 2 L:2 D) and 12 L:12 D (9 L:3 D:1 L:3 D:1 L:3 D:1 L:3 D) and provided by incandescent bulbs. The two nutrient densities were high (H, starter diet: 13.39 MJ/kg apparent metabolisable energy (AME), 23.00% crude protein (CP); finisher diet: 13.39 MJ AME/kg, 19.70% CP) and low energy and protein level (L, starter diet: 12.03 MJ AME/kg, 20.80% CP; finisher diet: 12.14 MJ AME/kg, 18.30% CP). Houses with dark curtains and solid sidewalls were used. Chickens were randomly allocated to the 8 treatments with each treatment comprising 6 replicates of 12 chickens. Feed and water were available ad libitum. Lighting schedules showed no difference (p>0.05) in growth performance at the end of the experiment. 12 L:12 D significantly reduced (p<0.05) the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to 23 L:1 D treatment. Intermittent lighting (IL) schedules produced higher protein content (p<0.001) in breast meat. Birds on high density diets had higher body weight (BW), feed intake (FI) (p<0.001), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p<0.001) throughout the experiment with the exception of 36 to 42 d. High nutrient density increased (p<0.05) abdominal fat, decreased (p<0.05) the moisture loss of meat, and reduced percentage of wings and legs. There was a significant lighting schedule${\times}$diet interaction (p<0.001) on FCR for days 8 to 14 and 15 to 21. Results indicated that IL can give similar growth performance in comparison with CL, meanwhile with positive effects on meat quality by increasing protein content and decreasing the concentration of MDA. High nutrient density resulted in greater growth performance.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.544-553
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• 2018

This study was conducted to determine the effects of breed and sex on meat quality and sensory properties of the loin in three-way crossbred pigs: $Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Duroc$ (LYD) and $Landrace{\times}Yorkshire{\times}Woori$ (LYW) black pig synthesized by Korean native breed. Carcass traits did not differ by breed. Carcass weight and backfat thickness were higher in castrates than in gilts (p<0.01). LYW showed significant high values in fat content, cooking loss, and water-holding capacity (WHC) than LYD (p<0.05). Redness and yellowness of the meat were higher in LYW than in LYD (p<0.01). Further, LYW had lower pH and shear force than LYD (p<0.001). Significant high scores in color and flavor were obtained in LYW or gilts compared to LYD or castrates by sensory panel, respectively (p<0.05). However, other sensory traits did not differ by breed or sex. Capric acid (C10:0) was higher in LYD than LYW (p<0.001). However, stearic acid (C18:0) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) contents were higher in LYW than LYD (p<0.05). Eicosenoic acid (C20:2) and the n6/n3 ratio were higher in gilts than in castrates, whereas SFA content was higher in castrates than in gilts. These results suggest that certain physicochemical qualities of meat and sensory properties are improved in LYW compared to LYD. This study could provide basic data on meat quality of crossbred pigs with Woori black pig as a terminal sire.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2022

The present study investigates the effects of different inclusion levels of a microwave-dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (HILM) on the carcass characteristics, breast meat quality, and fatty acid profiles of leg meat in broiler chickens. A total of 150 male broilers were randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups (10 replicates·treatment^-1 and 5 birds·replicate^-1). HILM was included at increasing levels (0, 2, and 4%; CON, 2HILM, and 4HILM, respectively) in diets formulated for three feeding phases: starter (1 - 7 d), grower (7 - 21 d), and finisher (21 - 35 d). One bird per replicate was slaughtered at d 35; the carcasses and organs were weighed, and breast and leg meats were excised for a meat analysis. A linear decrease (p < 0.01) was observed for live and carcass weights for the whole period of the experiment, with no difference between the CON and 2HILM groups. Broilers fed HILM showed no significant differences in meat quality parameters, except for an increase in yellowness (b^*) in the 2HILM and 4HILM groups compared to the CON group (p < 0.01). With an increase in the HILM inclusion level, the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) such as lauric, myristic, stearic, arachidic, and heneicosylic acids showed a linear increase (p < 0.01); however, total SFA, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid did not differ among the dietary treatments. Thus, microwave-dried HILM can be considered as a possible alternative ingredient to soybean meal in broiler diets up to a 2% inclusion level.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1655-1665
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• 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of three feeding systems, i.e., indoor feeding (CON), indoor feeding with 4-h daily access to grazing artificial pasture (ITGP), and indoor feeding with 8-h daily access to grazing artificial pasture (IEGP), on the plasma antioxidant and immunological capacity, slaughter characteristics, meat quality and economic efficiency of Huang-huai lambs. Methods: Thirty-three healthy Huang-huai rams with similar body weight (approximately 5 mo of age, 28.96±1.01 kg) were assigned equally to three experimental groups. When finished fattening, six lambs from each group were collect blood samples for plasma analyses and then slaughtered to determine slaughter characteristics and obtain biceps brachii muscle for further analysis of meat quality and fatty acid profile. Results: Compared to CON group, animals submitted to ITGP and IEGP groups resulted in greater contents of serum glutathione peroxidase, immunoglobulins (IgA, IgG, and IgM), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6 PUFA, and PUFA/saturated fatty acid (FA) ratio and lower palmitic /oleic acid ratio (p<0.05). Moreover, animals in ITGP group exhibited a higher (p<0.05) loin eye area, content of meat crude protein (CP), and eicosetrienoic acid compared to CON group, while slaughter performance was superior (p<0.05) to that of the IEGP group. The economic efficiency of ITGP group was 70.12% higher than that of CON group, while the IEGP group exhibited a decrease of 92.54% in economic efficiency compared to the CON group. Conclusion: Restricted grazing time combined with indoor feeding was more effective in conferring superior body health, carcass traits and economic efficiency in Huang-huai lambs, as well as higher CP content and healthier FA composition in the resulting meat.