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A study was undertaken to investigate the growth performance and carcass and meat quality of pigs (BW = 52 to 108 kg) fed oat-based (Avena sativa L.) diets containing four levels of mixed-linkage (1 [right arrow] 3), (1 [right arrow] 4)-[beta]-D-glucans. One hundred sixty pigs--80 barrows and 80 gilts (average starting BW = 52.7 kg)--were allocated to one of five diets: a wheat-barley-based control diet and four experimental diets. The groats of Marion, a covered oat, and OT789, a hulless oat, were used to formulate four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets to achieve 4.1, 3.3, 2.1, or 1.6% total [beta]-glucans (as fed). Growth performance (daily gain and gain to feed ratio) was not affected (P > 0.05) by the different levels of [beta]-glucans. Carcass yield, although lower (P [less than or equal to] 0.05) for pigs fed the control diet, was similar (P > 0.05) for pigs fed any of the experimental diets. Cutout yields were also alike (P > 0.05) across the five diets. [beta]-glucan content had no effect (P > 0.05) on the longissimus muscle area, or, by and large, on the proportions of commercial cuts; the only exceptions were a commercial picnic from pigs fed the 2.1% diet lower (P < 0.05) relative to all other diets and a lower (P < 0.5) commercial loin from pigs fed diets 4.1 or 3.3% relative to the control diet. Furthermore, the relative proportions of total lean, total bone, and total dissectable fat in the four lean cuts (picnic, butt, loin, and ham) were not different (P > 0.05) among the five diets. For pigs fed 4.1% [beta]-glucans, the proportion of lean in each of the four major cuts was lower (P < 0.05). No differences (P > 0.05) associated with the level of [beta]-glucans were detected for either the initial or ultimate pH mean values, the subjective assessment of color or structure of the longissimus muscle, or the instrumentally measured color (L value). Similarly, drip loss was not influenced (P > 0.05) by the level of [beta]-glucans in the diets. Soluble protein did differ (P < 0.05) among the high- to low-[beta]-glucans diets. No differences (P > 0.05) associated with diets were found for fat hardness and shear values of grilled pork chops. Chemical fat of the longissimus muscle from pigs fed 4.1, 3.3, or 2.1% [beta]-glucans was lower (P < 0.05) compared to pigs fed the control or 1.6% [beta]-glucans diets. In summary, no evidence of detrimental effect of [beta]-glucans in oat-based diets, particularly at levels below 4%, was detected, lending support for the inclusion of oat into finisher diets. Key Words: Carcasses, [beta]-glucans, Oats, Pigs, Pork, Quality

Eight pairs of near-isogenic lines of oat (Avena sativa L.) (Reg. no. GP-71 to GP-86, PI 633779 to PI 633794) were developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), Lacombe Research [...]

`AC Morgan' (Reg. no. CV-369, PI 629113) is a spring oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivar developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lacombe Research Centre, Lacombe, AB Canada, and released to [...]

A study was undertaken to investigate the growth performance and carcass and meat quality of pigs (BW = 52 to 108 kg) fed oat-based (Avena sativa L.) diets containing four levels of mixed-linkage (1 → 3), (1 → 4)-β-D-glucans. One hundred sixty pigs—80 barrows and 80 gilts (average starting BW = 52.7 kg) were allocated to one of five diets: a wheat-barley-based control diet and four experimental diets. The groats of Marion, a covered oat, and OT789, a hulless oat, were used to formulate four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets to achieve 4.1, 3.3, 2.1, or 1.6% total β-glucans (as fed). Growth performance (daily gain and gain to feed ratio) was not affected (P > 0.05) by the different levels of β-glucans. Carcass yield, although lower (P ≤ 0.05) for pigs fed the control diet, was similar (P > 0.05) for pigs fed any of the experimental diets. Cutout yields were also alike (P > 0.05) across the five diets. β-glucan content had. no effect (P > 0.05) on the longissimus muscle area, or, by and large, on the proportions of commercial cuts; the only exceptions were a commercial picnic from pigs fed the 2.1% diet lower (P < 0.05) relative to all other diets and a lower (P < 0.5) commercial loin from pigs fed diets 4.1 or 3.3% relative to the control diet. Furthermore, the relative proportions of total lean, total bone, and total dissectable fat in the four lean cuts (picnic, butt, loin, and ham) were not different (P > 0.05) among the five diets. For pigs fed 4.1% β-glucans, the proportion of lean in each of the four major cuts was lower (P < 0.05). No differences (P > 0.05) associated with the level of β-glucans were detected for either the initial or ultimate pH mean values, the subjective assessment of color or structure of the longissimus muscle, or the instrumentally measured color (L value). Similarly, drip loss was not influenced (P > 0.05) by the level of β-glucans in the diets. Soluble protein did differ (P <... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven pairs of oat near-isogenic lines (NILs) (Kibite in Crop Sci 41:277-278, 2001) contrasting for the Dw6 dwarfing gene were used to test for correlation between tall/dwarf phenotype and polymorphic genotype using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and other molecular markers selected from the Kanota × Ogle (K×O) (Wight et al. in Genome 46:28-47, 2003) and Terra × Marion (De Koeyer et al. in Theor Appl Genet 108:1285-1298, 2004) recombination maps. This strategy located the Dw6/dw6 locus to a small chromosomal region on K×O linkage group (LG) KO33, near or at a putative RFLP locus aco245z. Aco245z and other tightly linked flanking markers have potential for use in marker-assisted selection (MAS), and PCR-based markers were developed from several of these. RFLP genotyping of the Dw6 NILs indicated that 13 of the 14 individual lines were homogeneously maternal or paternal for a large genomic region near Dw6/dw6, an unexpected result for NILs. The cDNA clone aco245 codes for a vacuolar proton ATPase subunit H, a potential candidate gene for Dw6. Vacuolar proton ATPase enzymes have a central role in plant growth and development and a mutation in subunit C is responsible for the det3 dwarfing mutation in Arabidopsis thaliana (Schumacher et al. in Genes Dev 13:3259-3270, 1999). Aco245 affords the potential of designing highly precise diagnostic markers for MAS for Dw6. The Dw6 NILs have potential utility to investigate the role of vacuolar proton ATPases in growth and development in plants.