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Jeryak is the F1 generation of the cross between Gannan yak and Jersey cattle, which has the advantages of fast growth and high adaptability. The growth and development of skeletal muscle is closely linked to meat production and the quality of meat. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms of muscle growth differences between Gannan yak and Jeryak analyzed from the perspective of chromatin opening have not been reported. In this study, ATAC-seq was used to analyze the difference of chromatin openness in longissimus muscle of Gannan yak and Jeryak. It was found that chromatin accessibility was more enriched in Jeryak compared to Gannan yak, especially in the range of the transcription start site (TSS) ± 2 kb. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis indicate that differential peak-associated genes are involved in the negative regulation of muscle adaptation and the Hippo signaling pathway. Integration analysis of ATAC-seq and RNA-seq revealed overlapping genes were significantly enriched during skeletal muscle cell differentiation and muscle organ morphogenesis. At the same time, we screened FOXO1, ZBED6, CRY2 and CFL2 for possible involvement in skeletal muscle development, constructed a genes and transcription factors network map, and found that some transcription factors (TFs), including YY1, KLF4, KLF5 and Bach1, were involved in skeletal muscle development. Overall, we have gained a comprehensive understanding of the key factors that impact skeletal muscle development in various breeds of cattle, providing new insights for future analysis of the molecular regulatory mechanisms involved in muscle growth and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the gradual completion of the human genome project, proteomes have gained extremely important value in the fields of human disease and biological process research. In our previous research, we performed transcriptomic analyses of longissimus dorsi tissue from Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle and conducted in-depth studies on the muscles of both species through epigenetics. However, it is unclear whether differentially expressed proteins in Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle regulate muscle production and development. In this study, a proteomic analysis was performed on Xinjiang brown cattle and Kazakh cattle by using TMT markers, HPLC classification, LC/MS and bioinformatics analysis. A total of 13,078 peptides were identified, including 11,258 unique peptides. We identified a total of 1874 proteins, among which 1565 were quantifiable. Compared to Kazakh cattle, Xinjiang brown cattle exhibited 75 upregulated proteins and 44 downregulated proteins. These differentially expressed proteins were enriched for the functions of adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, fatty acid degradation and glutathione metabolism. In our research, we found differentially expressed proteins in longissimus dorsi tissue between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle. We predict that these proteins regulate muscle production and development through select enriched signaling pathways. This study provides novel insights into the roles of proteomes in cattle genetics and breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to evaluate the effects of a cold brine (4 °C) pre-treatment on the quality of camel meat. The studied parameters are moisture content, macronutrient composition, color, pH, and shrinkage, before and after drying. Five groups of 108 camel meat slices with dimensions of 100 ×20 x 4 mm (length x width x thickness) were constituted. The control group (group 1) received no treatment. Groups 2 and 3 were immersed for 30 and 90 minutes respectively in a 19 % sodium chloride solution at 4 °C, then sun-dried. As for groups 4 and 5, they were treated in the same way for 30 and 90 minutes, but oven-dried at 65 °C. Results demonstrate that increasing the soaking time reduced the drying duration from 20 to 16 hours for oven drying and 14–12 hours for sun drying. Moisture content decreased from 73.94±0.31 % to 13.33±0.15 %, while protein levels decreased from 75.76±0.04 % to 74.465±0.02 % and 74.97±0.04 % for oven drying and 74.25±0.07 % to 74.51±0.01 % for sun drying after 30 and 90 minutes of soaking, respectively. A decrease in lipid content from 21.65±0.04 % to 19.10±0.06 % and 19.14±0.08 % was also observed during oven drying and 19.33±0.07 % to 19.12±0.09 % for sun drying. Sodium levels increased from 260.47±1.46 mg/100 g to 1690.36±1.94–1712.11±5.14 mg/100 g for oven drying and 1704.48±7.16 mg/100 g - 1714.89±4.18 mg/100 g for sun drying. Longer soaking times increased total color variation for both drying methods. By using cold brine, the nutrients in the muscle slices are preserved and the final product is lower in salinity. • The camel longissimus muscle's drying time is reduced by reducing the soaking time. • Cold brine reduces the solubilization of minerals in camel longissimus muscle. • Shrinkage of camel longissimus muscle is inversely influenced by soaking time. • Sun drying reduces drying time by up to 25–30 % compared to oven drying. • Shorter drying time reduces total color change of camel longissimus muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty acid profile, physicochemical composition, and carcass traits of 32 young Nellore bulls were assessed following the supplementation of Acacia mearnsii extract at levels of 0, 10, 30, and 50 g/kg of total dry matter (DM) in a completely randomized experiment with four treatments and eight replicates. Adding 50 g/kg DM of condensed tannins (CT) from Acacia mearnsii in the bulls' diet reduced DM intake, average daily gain, and meat lipid oxidation (P ≤ 0.05). The pH, centesimal composition, collagen, and meat color indexes of the longissimus muscle were not altered by the addition of Acacia mearnsii (P > 0.05). Cooling loss increased (P = 0.049) linearly. Including Acacia mearnsii in diet reduced the Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF, P = 0.018) of longissimus muscle of the bulls. The concentration of C16:0, C17:0, C24:0, t 9,10,11,16–18:1, c 9 t 11–18:2, C18:2 n –6, C20:4 n –6, 20:5 n –3, 22:5 n –3, and 22:6 n –3 in the muscle increased due to the addition of Acacia in the diet (P ≤ 0.05), with the highest muscle concentrations caused by the addition of 10 to 30 g Acacia. c 9–18:1 and t 16–18:1 reduced linearly. ƩSFA, ƩBI, Ʃ cis – and ƩMUFA, Ʃ n –3, Ʃ n –6, and ƩPUFA (P ≤ 0.05) quadratically increased at higher concentrations of addition of Acacia , above 30 g /kg DM. It is recommended to include Acacia mearnsii extract up to 30 g/kg total DM in diets for young bulls as it improves CLA, PUFA and TI and reduces lipid oxidation. Acacia mearnsii extract as source of CT at 50 g/kg DM negatively impacted the young bulls performance. • 50 g/kg DM of Acacia mearnsii extract in the diet reduces growth performance in bulls. • Young bulls feeding on Acacia have less subcutaneous fat • Meat lipid oxidation activity reduces due to cattle's increasing acacia intake. • cacia mearnsii in the bulls' diet up to 30 g/kg DM improves CLA and PUFA in the meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective In recent years, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been identified in many species, and some of them have been shown to play important roles in muscle development and myogenesis. However, the differences in lncRNAs between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle remain undefined; therefore, we aimed to confirm whether lncRNAs are differentially expressed in the longissimus dorsi between these two types of cattle and whether differentially expressed lncRNAs regulate muscle differentiation. Methods We used RNA-seq technology to identify lncRNAs in longissimus muscles from these cattle. The expression of lncRNAs were analyzed using StringTie (1.3.1) in terms of the fragments per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads values of the encoding genes. The differential expression of the transcripts in the two samples were analyzed using the DESeq R software package. The resulting false discovery rate was controlled by the Benjamini and Hochberg’s approach. KOBAS software was utilized to measure the expression of different genes in Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways. We randomly selected eight lncRNA genes and validated them by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Results We found that 182 lncRNA transcripts, including 102 upregulated and 80 downregulated transcripts, were differentially expressed between Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle. The results of RT-qPCR were consistent with the sequencing results. Enrichment analysis and functional annotation of the target genes revealed that the differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with the mitogen-activated protein kinase, Ras, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3k)/Akt signaling pathways. We also constructed a lncRNA/mRNA coexpression network for the PI3k/Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion Our study provides insights into cattle muscle-associated lncRNAs and will contribute to a more thorough understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying muscle growth and development in cattle.

The primary objective of this study was to compare the colour of muscle from bulls finished at pasture or indoors on a high concentrate diet. The ancillary objectives were to identify possible explanations for any differences in the colour observed and the potential of muscle colour to discriminate between bull beef from different production systems. Growth, longissimus muscle colour, fibre type composition and metabolic profile were measured in late-maturing breed sired suckler bulls slaughtered at 19 months of age after 199 days at pasture (G0), 100 days indoors after 98 days at pasture (G0AL) and indoors for 199 days (AL). When compared to bulls finished indoors and offered a high concentrate ration, the carcass weight of G0 bulls was lower, their carcasses were leaner, and their longissimus muscle was similar in lightness but less red and had a lower glycolytic metabolism. The temperature at which the longissimus muscle reached pH 6.0 was lower (19.7 °C) for G0 than for G0AL (29.9 °C) and AL (31.6 °C), which did not differ. Co-variate adjustment for this variable removed the differences in redness. Adjusting the chill settings appears to be a practical strategy for abattoirs to minimise early post-mortem differences in muscle colour between lighter grass-fed and heavier concentrate-fed carcasses. The preliminary results demonstrate the potential of both L*, a*, b* values and the visible reflectance spectra of muscle to discriminate between grass- finished and concentrate-finished bull beef, but further refinement and validation of the models is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective With the rapid development of proteomics sequencing and RNA sequencing technology, multi-omics analysis has become a current research hotspot. Our previous study indicated that Xinjiang brown cattle have better meat quality than Kazakh cattle. In this study, Xinjiang brown cattle and Kazakh cattle were used as the research objects. Methods Proteome sequencing and RNA sequencing technology were used to analyze the proteome and transcriptome of the longissimus dorsi muscle of the two breeds of adult steers (n = 3). Results In this project, 22,677 transcripts and 1,874 proteins were identified through quantitative analysis of the transcriptome and proteome. By comparing the identified transcriptome and proteome, we found that 1,737 genes were identified at both the transcriptome and proteome levels. The results of the study revealed 12 differentially expressed genes and proteins: troponin I1, crystallin alpha B, cysteine, and glycine rich protein 3, phosphotriesterase-related, myosin-binding protein H, glutathione s-transferase mu 3, myosin light chain 3, nidogen 2, dihydropyrimidinase like 2, glutamate-oxaloacetic transaminase 1, receptor accessory protein 5, and aspartoacylase. We performed functional enrichment of these differentially expressed genes and proteins. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes results showed that these differentially expressed genes and proteins are enriched in the fatty acid degradation and histidine metabolism signaling pathways. We performed parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) verification of the differentially expressed proteins, and the PRM results were consistent with the sequencing results. Conclusion Our study provided and identified the differentially expressed genes and proteins. In addition, identifying functional genes and proteins with important breeding value will provide genetic resources and technical support for the breeding and industrialization of new genetically modified beef cattle breeds.

This study aimed to compare the physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid composition, and sensory attributes of the meat from three genetic groups: Nellore (Nell), ½ Nellore × ½ Angus (NeAn), and ¼ Nellore × ¼ Angus × ½ Senepol (NASe). Longissimus lumborum muscle from 30 slaughtered bulls with a body weight of 549 ± 32.5 kg was used. The water holding capacity was greater for the Nell and NeAn groups than for the NASe group. Meat samples from the NASe group exhibited a higher L* index than those from the NeAn group and lower a* and b* color indexes than those from the Nell group. The meat fatty acid profiles showed that the Nell group had higher concentrations of 12:0, 14:0, 18:1 t11, 14:1 c9, 16:1 c9, 18:1 c9, 18:1 c11, 18:2 c9, t11 (conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)), and 20:3 n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) than the NeAn and NASe groups. The total saturated (ΣSFA), unsaturated (ΣUFA), and monounsaturated (ΣMUFA) fatty acid concentrations were higher and the ΣPUFA:ΣSFA ratio was lower in the Nell group than in the NeAn group. The Δ9–desaturase C16 activity was significantly higher in the Nell and NASe groups than in the NeAn group. The atherogenicity index (AI) tended to be lower in the crossbreeds than in the Nell breed. The NASe group presented meat with better tenderness, juiciness, and overall acceptance than the Nell and NeAn groups and was therefore the best genetic group for beef production of the tested groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle fiber characteristics comprise a set of complex traits that influence the mea quality and lean meat production of livestock. However, the genetic and biological mechanisms regulating muscle fiber characteristics are largely unknown in pigs. Based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed on 421 Large White × Min pig F2 individuals presenting well-characterized phenotypes, this work aimed to detect genome variations and candidate genes for five muscle fiber characteristics: percentage of type I fibers (FIB1P), percentage of type IIA fibers (FIB2AP), percentage of type IIB fibers (FIB2BP), diameter of muscle fibers (DIAMF) and number of muscle fibers per unit area (NUMMF). The GWAS used the Illumina Porcine SNP60K genotypic data, which were analyzed by a mixed model. Seven and 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with DIAMF and NUMMF, respectively (P < 1.10E-06); no SNP was significantly associated with FIB1P, FIB2AP or FIB2B. For DIAMF, the significant SNPs on chromosome 4 were located in the previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) interval. Because the significant SNPs on chromosome 6 were not mapped in the previously reported QTL interval, a putative novel QTL was suggested for this locus. None of the previously reported QTL intervals on chromosomes 6 and 14 harbored significant SNPs for NUMMF; thus, new potential QTLs on these two chromosomes are suggested in the present work. The most significant SNPs associated with DIAMF (ALGA0025682) and NUMMF (MARC0046984) explained 12.02% and 11.59% of the phenotypic variation of these traits, respectively. In addition, both SNPs were validated as associated with DIAMF and NUMMF in Beijing Black pigs (P < 0.01). Some candidate genes or non-coding RNAs, such as solute carrier family 44 member 5 and miR-124a-1 for DIAMF, and coiled-coil serine rich protein 2 for NUMMF, were identified based on their close location to the significant SNPs. This study revealed some genome-wide association variants for muscle fiber characteristics, and it provides valuable information to discover the genetic mechanisms controlling these traits in pigs.

The primary objective of this study was to compare the colour of muscle from bulls finished at pasture or indoors on a high concentrate diet. The ancillary objectives were to identify possible explanations for any differences in the colour observed and the potential of muscle colour to discriminate between bull beef from different production systems. Growth, longissimus muscle colour, fibre type composition and metabolic profile were measured in late-maturing breed sired suckler bulls slaughtered at 19 months of age after 199 days at pasture (G0), 100 days indoors after 98 days at pasture (G0AL) and indoors for 199 days (AL). When compared to bulls finished indoors and offered a high concentrate ration, the carcass weight of G0 bulls was lower, their carcasses were leaner, and their longissimus muscle was similar in lightness but less red and had a lower glycolytic metabolism. The temperature at which the longissimus muscle reached pH 6.0 was lower (19.7 °C) for G0 than for G0AL (29.9 °C) and AL (31.6 °C), which did not differ. Co-variate adjustment for this variable removed the differences in redness. Adjusting the chill settings appears to be a practical strategy for abattoirs to minimise early post-mortem differences in muscle colour between lighter grass-fed and heavier concentrate-fed carcasses. The preliminary results demonstrate the potential of both L*, a*, b* values and the visible reflectance spectra of muscle to discriminate between grass- finished and concentrate-finished bull beef, but further refinement and validation of the models is required.

Meat tenderness is one of the principal attribute associated with consumer preferences. This study describes tenderness measurements at three final endpoint cooking temperatures (51, 61 and 71 °C) using a mechanical Warner–Bratzler (WBSF) as the standard instrument versus digital texturometer (CT3) and penetrometer (FHT) devices. Thirty-six cross-breed heifers (Bos indicus) with initial body weight 330 ± 40 kg, 20–24 months of age, were slaughtered after 100 days on feed. Subsequently, 48 h post-slaughter, Longissimus thoracis (LT) samples were collected between the 10th and 13th ribs. Six LT samples from each animal were used to evaluate tenderness and cooking losses through analysis of variance and regression analyses. No interaction between device × temperature was observed (p = 0.57). Shear force values were greater (p < 0.05) as endpoint cooking increased and the results from CT3 were close to the ones using the WBSF (R2 = 0.76; p < 0.0001). In conclusion, the digital CT3 can replace the mechanical WBSF because these devices were strongly correlated (r = 0.85; p < 0.00). However, the results from FHT were underestimated (R2 = 0.19; p < 0.006), indicating that FHT device should not be used for the evaluation of meat tenderness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the weaning strategy (WS; early, at 130 ± 21 d vs normal, at 187 ± 20 d) and backgrounding length (BGL; short vs long) on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and relative mRNA expression in the longissimus muscle (LM) of beef steers. Angus × SimAngus-crossbred steers [n = 120; body weight (BW) = 130 ± 11.2 kg] were used in randomized complete block design. Steer calves were blocked by age and BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (2×2 factorial arrangement). Treatments consisted of early or normal weaned steers with either a short or a long BGL. Early weaned steers were ad libitum-fed a grain-based diet for 49 d until nursing calves were normally weaned. Subsequently, steers were ad libitum-fed a hay-based diet for 214 d or a concentrates-based diet for 95 d, for the long or the short BGL, respectively. Steers were finished on a high grain diet until harvested at a common 12th rib fat thickness. Longissimus muscle biopsies were performed on days 1, 57, 112, 168, 255. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS. Early weaned steers were heavier (P < 0.01; Table 1) at the beginning of the backgrounding and finishing period. When the finishing phase began, steers with a long BGL were heavier (P < 0.01; Table 1) than steers with a short BGL. There was a WS × BGL interaction (P = 0.01; Table 1) for final BW, where normal weaned steers with a long BGL were the heaviest among treatments. In the finishing phase, steers with a long BGL had greater DMI and ADG, but lower G:F (P < 0.01; Table 1) than steers with a short BGL. There was WS × BGL interaction (P = 0.03; Table 1) for days on feed (DOF) in the finishing phase, where early weaned steers with a short BGL required less days on DOF to reach harvesting target than the remaining treatments. No interactions or treatment effects (P = 0.11; Table 2) were detected for marbling score (MS). For the mRNA expression of ZFP423, a WS × d interaction was detected (P < 0.01; Figure 1). Day×WS interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for ZFP423 mRNA expression, early weaned steers showed a greater expression at d 112 and a decreased expression at d 255. For DLK1, a BGL×d interaction occurred (P < 0.01; Figure 2). In d 57 steers with a short BGL presented a greater DLK1 mRNA expression than steers with long BGL, whereas in d 255, this was inverted. Overall, data from this experiment does not support the implementation of different WS and BGL as a method to improve the MS of beef carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The relationship between flexibility and the pattern formed by the surface electromyography activity of the back muscles while performing a dynamic trunk flexion-extension task is not yet thoroughly understood, although many previous studies have adopted it as their focus in the literature. Additionally, several studies have proposed technologies and algorithms to analyse the flexion-relaxation phenomenon, which is defined by myoelectric silence that occurs when the subject's torso exceeds a certain flexion angle. Before participating in the flexion-relaxation test, subjects involved in the data collection underwent medical examinations, in which their physical condition, perceived pain, and level of disability were reported in their anamnesis. During the flexion-relaxation test, which was conducted with 25 subjects with and without low back pain, subjects wore four surface electromyography electrodes positioned over the back muscles, as well as an inertial sensor to estimate trunk inclination.

Xinjiang brown cattle have better meat quality than Kazakh cattle. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a type of RNA that can participate in the regulation of gene transcription. Whether circRNAs are differentially expressed in the longissimus dorsi between these two types of cattle and whether differentially expressed circRNAs regulate muscle formation and differentiation are still unknown. In this study, we established two RNA-seq libraries, each of which consisted of three samples. A total of 5,177 circRNAs were identified in longissimus dorsi samples from Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle using the Illumina platform, 46 of which were differentially expressed. Fifty-five Gene Ontology terms were significantly enriched, and 12 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were identified for the differentially expressed genes. Muscle biological processes were associated with the origin genes of the differentially expressed circRNAs. In addition, we randomly selected six overexpressed circRNAs and compared their levels in longissimus dorsi tissue from Kazakh cattle and Xinjiang brown cattle using RT-qPCR. Furthermore, we predicted 66 interactions among 65 circRNAs and 14 miRNAs using miRanda and established a coexpression network. A few microRNAs known for their involvement in myoblast regulation, such as miR-133b and miR-664a, were identified in this network. Notably, bta_circ_03789_1 and bta_circ_05453_1 are potential miRNA sponges that may regulate insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor expression. These findings provide an important reference for prospective investigations of the role of circRNA in longissimus muscle growth and development. This study provides a theoretical basis for targeting circRNAs to improve beef quality and taste.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the growth performance, chemical composition, and functional amino acids (FAA) composition of two crossing systems between wild boars and different domesticated pig breeds. Forty castrated male pigs at 60 days of age from 3 breeds including Wild boar (W), Bamei (B) and Yorkshire (Y) and their crossing systems Wild boar × Bamei (W × B) and Wild boar × Yorkshire (W × Y) were assigned into five groups, respectively. After 100 days of feeding, the growth performance, chemical composition and amino acids (AA) in longissimus muscle were analysed. The ADG (P

Muscle fiber characteristics comprise a set of complex traits that influence the meat quality and lean meat production of livestock. However, the genetic and biological mechanisms regulating muscle fiber characteristics are largely unknown in pigs. Based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) performed on 421 Large White × Min pig F2 individuals presenting well-characterized phenotypes, this work aimed to detect genome variations and candidate genes for five muscle fiber characteristics: percentage of type I fibers (FIB1P), percentage of type IIA fibers (FIB2AP), percentage of type IIB fibers (FIB2BP), diameter of muscle fibers (DIAMF) and number of muscle fibers per unit area (NUMMF). The GWAS used the Illumina Porcine SNP60K genotypic data, which were analyzed by a mixed model. Seven and 10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were significantly associated with DIAMF and NUMMF, respectively (P < 1.10E-06); no SNP was significantly associated with FIB1P, FIB2AP or FIB2B. For DIAMF, the significant SNPs on chromosome 4 were located in the previously reported quantitative trait loci (QTL) interval. Because the significant SNPs on chromosome 6 were not mapped in the previously reported QTL interval, a putative novel QTL was suggested for this locus. None of the previously reported QTL intervals on chromosomes 6 and 14 harbored significant SNPs for NUMMF; thus, new potential QTLs on these two chromosomes are suggested in the present work. The most significant SNPs associated with DIAMF (ALGA0025682) and NUMMF (MARC0046984) explained 12.02% and 11.59% of the phenotypic variation of these traits, respectively. In addition, both SNPs were validated as associated with DIAMF and NUMMF in Beijing Black pigs (P < 0.01). Some candidate genes or non-coding RNAs, such as solute carrier family 44 member 5 and miR-124a-1 for DIAMF, and coiled-coil serine rich protein 2 for NUMMF, were identified based on their close location to the significant SNPs. This study revealed some genome-wide association variants for muscle fiber characteristics, and it provides valuable information to discover the genetic mechanisms controlling these traits in pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing population of wild boar has made this wild game species acquire commercial interest. Consumers appreciate this type of meat for its high nutritional value. In our research, we have compared fat composition of different types of meat. The loin of 9 hunted wild boars, 9 intensively kept commercial swines and 14 crossbreed Mora Romagnola pigs, kept in the open, have been sampled. Moreover, we have collected samples from ham and shoulder of wild boars, to identify which cut could have the most favourable characteristics. All animals came from Bologna District. A.O.A.C. Official Method 996.06 was used to determine lipid composition. Finally, statistical analysis was performed. According to our results, wild boar meat had a significantly lowest content of fatty acids, highest PFA:SFA ratio and highest content of ω-3 and EPA. Crossbreed Mora Romagnola registered the highest content of fatty acids, a low value of PUFA:SFA ratio, like the hybrid pigs, but the value of ω-6:ω-3 ratio was closer to that of wild boar. This preliminary research suggests that the wild boar meat has the most favourable fatty acids composition, and that crossbreed Mora Romagnola pigs could be considered in a middle position between wild boar and commercial swine. Future researches are needed to deepen these aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of segmenting the cross-section through the longissimus muscle in beef carcasses with computer vision methods was investigated. The available data were 111 images of crosssections coming from 28 cows (typically four images per cow). Training data were the pixels of the muscles, marked manually. The AlexNet deep convolutional neural network was used as the classifier, and single pixels were the classified objects. Each pixel was presented to the network together with its small circular neighbourhood, and with its context represented by the further neighbourhood, darkened by halving the image intensity. The average classification accuracy was 96%. The accuracy without darkening the context was found to be smaller, with a small but statistically significant difference. The segmentation of the longissimus muscle is the introductory stage for the next steps of assessing the quality of beef for the alimentary purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cashew nut shell liquid is one natural antioxidant rich in phenolic lipids, and when detoxified (technical CNSL or tCNSL), it can be added as a natural antioxidant and energy source in the diets of ruminants. The tCNSL was added to the lambs' diet replacing ground corn to evaluate its effect on meat quality. A total of 40 Dorper × Santa Inês crossbred male lambs with a mean age of five months and initial body weight of 27.0 ± 0.5 kg were distributed in a randomized blocks design with four treatments [tCNSL inclusion at 0 (control), 0.75; 1.5 % and 2.25 % in dry matter (DM)] with 10 lambs per treatment. The tCNSL showed high (P < 0.05) antioxidant activity. Adding the tCNSL in lamb diet up to 1.5 % of DM improved the DMI, energy intake and growth performance of the lambs (P ≤ 0.05). The redness coloration and saturation index, the concentrations of vaccenic acid and the sum of trans-fatty acids of the meat increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) by tCNSL inclusion in lamb diets. The lamb meat concentrations of oleic and rumenic acid ∑MUFAcis and ∑MUFA/∑SFA ratio reduced linearly (P ≤ 0.05), and hypocholesterolemic and hypercolesterolemic (h: H) ratio tended to be linearly reduced (P ≤ 0.10) due tCNSL diets inclusion. The inclusion of tCNSL in lamb diets did not affect (P > 0.05) the total fatty acids intake, feeding efficiency, meat quality parameters, such as pH, cooking loss, color indexes lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*), water holding capacity (WHC) and shear force (WBSF) and chemical composition (moisture, dry matter and crude ash). The tCNSL feed supplements are an alternative to synthetic additives in the lamb diet. Dietary tCNSL supplementation at 0.75 % in the diet of lambs, replacing ground corn, improves DMI, energy intake, performance, and meat coloration. In addition, the inclusion of the tCNSL changes the profile of fatty acids in meat because it increases vaccenic acid and consequently ∑MUFAtrans, and reduces ∑MUFAcis, h:H index and ∑MUFA of meat of the lamb. • Technical cashew nut shell liquid (tCNSL) is a natural UFA long-chain phenols source. • Oleic and rumenic acid, ƩMUFA- cis, ƩMUFA/ƩSFA, h:H index reduced by tCNSL diets. • Redness, saturation index and vaccenic acid increased due tCNSL inclusion in lamb diet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the influence of husbandry (organic feed and management but not free-ranging vs. conventional) and sex (barrows vs. gilts) on pork meat quality. A total of 60 Longissimus thoracis pork muscle samples from different 3-way crossbred genotypes were chosen from 3 conventional and 2 organic pig farms. Technological meat quality was measured at 24 h post-mortem and muscle fatty acid content and composition was analysed by gas chromatography. The loin from organic pigs at 24 h of retail display had lower pH, but it had no detrimental effects on drip loss. All the International Commission on Illumination colour attributes except meat lightness differed between husbandry systems. Moisture and crude protein content were lower whereas intramuscular fat content was greater in organic than in conventional pork. Total saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and PUFA n-6 contents did not differ between husbandry systems, but total PUFA n-3 (mainly C18:3 n-3) were greater in organic than in conventional pork. Sex did not affect ultimate pH or meat colour attributes but barrows showed lower moisture and greater intramuscular fat than gilts. Total SFA and MUFA content were similar but all the PUFA (both n-6 and n-3) were lower in barrows than in gilts. These results suggest that some bioactive compounds from dietary origin, i.e., linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) content from dietary vegetable oils (soybean or olive olein), might be used to highlight the nutritive value of (not free-ranging) organic pork meat. In addition, gilts were leaner than barrows and showed a more favourable PUFA/SFA ratio.

Abstract Based on RNA-seq analysis, we recently found that the bovine NCAPG (non-SMC condensin I complex, subunit G) gene is differentially expressed during development of the longissimus muscle. In the present study, we validated this result and, using quantitative real-time PCR analysis, identified two adjacent genes, LCORL and DCAF16, that are more abundant in fetal muscle tissue; further analysis of tissue-specific expression patterns indicated high abundance of NCAPG in muscle. Since no polymorphisms were detected in a previous study of Qinchuan cattle, we extended our investigation to examine the occurrence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the NCAPG gene. Three SNPs, i.e., one located in the intron region (g47747: T > G), a synonymous mutation (g52535: A > G) and a missense mutation (g53208: T > G) that leads to a change in the amino acid of interest (pIle442Met), were detected in a population of Qinchuan beef cattle (n = 300). Association analysis showed that these SNPs were significantly associated with the growth traits of Qinchuan beef cattle. Our results indicate that the bovine NCAPG gene may be involved in the development of the longissimus muscle. These polymorphisms in the NCAPG gene may be useful for marker-assisted selection of optimal body size in Qinchuan beef cattle.

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the growth performance, chemical composition, and functional amino acids (FAA) composition of two crossing systems between wild boars and different domesticated pig breeds. Forty castrated male pigs at 60 days of age from 3 breeds including Wild boar (W), Bamei (B) and Yorkshire (Y) and their crossing systems Wild boar × Bamei (W × B) and Wild boar × Yorkshire (W × Y) were assigned into five groups, respectively. After 100 days of feeding, the growth performance, chemical composition and amino acids (AA) in longissimus muscle were analysed. The ADG (P < .01) in W was lower than other breeds (B and Y) and their crossing systems (W × B and W × Y) (P < .01). The content of intramuscular fat (IMF) was decreased (P < .01) in W when compared with other breeds (B and Y) and their crossing systems (W × B and W × Y) (P < .01). In terms of the levels of FAA, leucine in W was lower than those of the other breeds (B and Y) or their crossing systems (W × B and W × Y) (P < .01), whereas the levels of proline, cysteine, glutamate, total FAA, total AA, and total FAA/total AA was the highest in the Wild boar (P < .01). Herein, cross breeding with domesticated pigs was shown to be an effective method to improve the growth performance of wild boars, and the extent of improvement was breed dependent. Compared with domesticated pigs and cross-bred pigs, wild boars showed lower growth rate, but lower IMF and better FAA composition in longissimus muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to compare the influence of two lipid sources (soybean grain [SG], and protected fat [PF, Lactoplus], based on soybean oil) with a control diet (no lipid supplementation) on the fatty acid (FA) profile ( longissimus muscle and subcutaneous fat) of beef cattle finished on grazing pasture or at a feedlot. The study was arranged in a complete randomized design, using 2 × 3 factorial scheme that combined 2 finishing systems and 3 diets. Seventy-eight young Nellore bulls (323.8 ± 25.4 kg body weight [BW] and 21 ± 3 months of age) were divided at random into two finishing systems: 1) pasture-finishing and 2) feedlot-finishing. The diet containing PF increased CLA in the muscle ( P =  0.0002). Pasture-finished bulls fed lipid-supplemented diets had significantly more ( P = <  0.0001) subcutaneous saturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle, whereas the PUFA concentration of PF-fed bulls was highest ( P = <  0.0001) in subcutaneous fat. The highest ( P =  0.0090) concentration of Omega-6 (n6) was observed in the muscle tissue of pasture-finished animals supplemented with SG. However, the lowest concentration ( P =  0.0010) of n6 FAs in subcutaneous fat was more evident in pasture-finished animals receiving the control diet. The concentration of C20:5 n 3 (EPA) was significantly higher ( P =  0.040) in the muscle tissue of animals receiving the control diet in pasture and deposition of EPA was greater ( P =  0.0020) in the subcutaneous fat of pasture-finished animals. The highest concentrations ( P = <  0.0001) of n3 were observed in the muscle tissue of pasture-finished animals. Animals receiving the control diet in both finishing systems had a lower ( P =  0.0051) n6:n3 ratio in muscle tissue. By comparison, feedlot-finished animals showed a higher ( P <  0.01) n6:n3 ratio in muscle tissue, and the highest ( P =  0.0190) n6:n3 ratio in subcutaneous fat was observed in pasture- and feedlot-finished animals supplemented with PF compared to the control diet. The muscle and subcutaneous fat tissues of feedlot-finished bulls fed the control and SG diets had a significantly higher ( P <  0.05) Δ 9 -desaturase C16 index. The lowest ( P =  0.0010) elongase concentrations were observed in the muscle tissue of PF-fed bulls, regardless of finishing system. Overall, bulls finished on grazing pasture had a more desirable FA composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work was to study the effects of four different rearing managements applied during the heifers’ whole life period (WLP) on muscles from ribs in the chuck sale section. The characteristics of meat studied were the sensory, rheological, and color of the longissimus muscle (LM) and the rheological traits of four other muscles: complexus, infraspinatus, rhomboideus, and serratus ventralis. The main results showed that WLP rearing managements did not significantly impact the tenderness (sensory or rheological analyses) of the rib muscles. The LM had high (p ≤ 0.05) typical flavor and was appreciated when heifers received a WLP rearing management characterized by a short pasture duration during the heifers’ whole life (WLP-E). The heifers’ management characterized by a long pasture duration during their life (WLP-A) or by a diet composed mainly of hay during the growth and fattening periods (WLP-F), had lower typical flavor and were less appreciated than those with WLP-E management. Moreover, the LM color was redder for heifers of WLP-E than those of the WLP-A and WLP-F groups. This study confirmed that it is possible to obtain similar meat qualities with different rearing managements.

The aim of the study was to evaluate longissimus muscle quality in lambs fed diets including fish oil (FO), rapeseed oil (RO), carnosic acid (CA) and seleno-compounds. Lambs were fed one of diets: Group I — the basal diet (BD) with 3% RO; Group II — BD with 2% RO and 1% FO; Group III — BD with 2% RO, 1% FO and 0.1% CA; Group IV — BD with 2% RO, 1% FO, 0.1% CA and 0.35 ppm Se as selenized-yeast; Group V — BD with 2% RO, 1% FO, 0.1% CA and 0.35 ppm Se as selenate. The addition of FO and FO, CA and selenium in the inorganic form was characterized by lowest tenderness and juiciness ( P < 0.05). The lowest concentration of fatty acids (ΣFAs), atherogenic-FAs (A SFA ) and thrombogenic-FAs (T SFA ) in the muscle was found for Group V ( P < 0.05). Experimental diets decreased indexes of A SFA and T SFA in muscle. The lowest ratio ( P < 0.05) of n-6polyunsaturated-FAs to n-3polyunsaturated-FAs was obtained for Group III. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]