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The present thesis investigated the effect of transport stress on the welfare and meat quality traits of Apulo-Calabrese (a local Italian pig breed) in comparison with crossbreed [Duroc x (Landrace and Large White)] pigs. For this purpose, all the animals were blood sampled five days before transport and at exsanguination for the analysis of blood stress parameters. Apulo-Calabrese pigs were slaughtered at 135 kg live weight while crossbreed pigs were slaughtered at 155 kg live weight. Meat quality traits such as pH, color, drip loss, cooking loss, Warner–Bratzler shear force, and intramuscular fat (IMF) were assessed on the longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. In addition, water status was assessed from LT samples using transverse relaxation time (T2) weighted signals registered by Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR), and fatty acid composition was determined by Folch method. Data were analyzed using mixed models and principal component analysis. The results are presented in three manuscripts: In chapter 1, the effect of short distance transport on the behavioral occurrences, blood parameters, and meat quality traits was investigated. Apulo-Calabrese pigs showed the highest value of exsanguination lactate when compared with crossbreed pigs which indicates a more intense physiological response. Significantly higher a* and lower L* coordinates were found in the samples of Apulo-Calabrese which showed meat with a deeper red color than crossbreeds. In chapter 2, results from the TD-NMR showed a higher percentage of extra-myofibrillar water in the samples of Apulo-Calabrese which was in agreement with the higher values of cooking loss found in this breed. In chapter 3. Except for heptadecenoic acid, there were no great differences in the longissimus thoracis muscle fatty acid profile between the two genetic types. The thesis provided insight on the effects of transport stress on the well-being being and meat quality traits of Apulo-Calabrese pig.

The aim of this study was to investigate the fatty acid profile of thelongissimus thoracismuscle in two genetictypes of pigs. Fifty one pigs of the Italian local breed Apulo-Calabrese and 52 crossbreeds [Duroc x (Landrace xLarge White)] were fed the same commercial diet and reared in the same indoor system. Fatty acid compositionwas assessed through Folch method and the obtained data were analysed with a mixed model to identify possibledifferences between the two genetic types. The Apulo-Calabrese pigs showed significantly higher contents ofheptadecenoic acid (P< 0.0001), myristic (P= 0.03), arachidic (P= 0.04), myristoleic (P= 0.004), palmi-toleic (P= 0.01) and gondoic (P= 0.01) acids. On the other hand, crossbreed samples presented highercontents of docosahexaenoic (P= 0.01) and arachidonic acid (P= 0.01). Except for heptadecenoic acid, there were no great differences inlongissimus thoracismuscle fatty acid profile between the two genetic types, suggesting that when Apulo-Calabrese pigs are managed in the same rearing conditions as crossbreeds their longissimus thoracis muscle fatty acid composition is similar.

This research compared the distribution and mobility of water in the longissimus thoracis muscle of 51 Apulo-Calabrese and 52 crossbred pigs differing in growth performances. The Apulo-Calabrese and crossbreed pigs were fed the same diet and slaughtered at 135 and 155 kg live weight, respectively. Besides meat quality measurement, water status was assessed from transverse relaxation time (T2) weighted signals registered by Time Domain Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (TD-NMR). A mixed model indicated that Apulo-Calabrese pigs had higher a* (P-value

Despite the increasing interest in the welfare of animals during transport, very little is known on the response of local pig breeds to the transport procedures. This study aims to compare the effect of short journey on behaviour, blood parameters, and meat quality traits in 51 Apulo-Calabrese and 52 crossbreed [Duroc &times, (Landrace &times, Large White)] pigs. All the animals were blood sampled five days before delivery (basal condition) and at exsanguination for the analysis of creatine kinase, cortisol, glucose, lactate, albumin, albumin/globulin, total protein, urea, creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphate, sodium, and potassium. Post mortem pH, color, drip loss, cooking loss, and Warner-Bratzler shear force were measured at different times in longissimus thoracis samples. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that glucose, albumin/globulin, urea, and AST at exsanguination were influenced by the genetic type. Apulo-Calabrese showed the highest increase in blood values of lactate, creatinine, sodium and potassium after the short distance transport. Behavioural occurrences were similar in both genetic types during unloading and lairage. Small differences were observed for meat quality although significantly higher a* and lower L* were found in Apulo-Calabrese pigs, showing meat with a deeper red colour than crossbreeds.