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This study evaluated the effects of breed and gender in Duroc (D), Pietrain (P), and crossbred (DP) pigs. Loin samples were collected from D (n = 79), P (n = 42), and DP (n = 45) pigs. Intramuscular fat content was significantly lower in P (p < 0.001), and pH was lowest in DP pigs (p < 0.001). Gilts had higher intramuscular fat (IMF) and pH values than did castrated males (p < 0.05). Water-holding capacity was lower in DP pigs than that in D and P pigs (p < 0.001). Shear force in DP pigs was higher than that in D and P pigs (p < 0.001). Lightness and yellowness of meat in DP pigs was increased compared with coloring of P pig meat (p < 0.01). Meat from DP pigs was redder compared with meat from in D and P pigs, and it was higher in gilts than in castrates (p < 0.001). The C16:0 content was lower in P and DP pigs than in D pigs (p < 0.01). C18:2 content was higher in P and DP pigs than in D pigs (p < 0.001). Unsaturated and saturated fatty acids increased in P pigs compared with levels in D pigs (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that meat quality can be controlled by crossbreeding to increase or reduce selected properties. This study provides the basic data on the meat characteristics of F1 DP pigs. Thus, further study should be conducted to estimate the meat quality of various crossbreeds.

A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was used to investigate the interactions between lactose levels (100 g/kg versus 200 g/kg) and Lactobacillus -based fermentation product (FP; 0 and 1 × 10 11 CFU Lactobacillus casei /kg) on weanling piglet performance and nutrient digestibility. Two hundred and forty weaned piglets (24 days old, 7.05 kg live weight) were blocked on the basis of live weight and assigned to one of four dietary treatments with six replicates and 10 piglets per replicate in two phases (phase 1, from d 1 to 14; phase 2, from d 14 to 28). Volatile fatty acid concentrations and bacterial counts were performed in ileal, cecal, and colonic contents. In phase Ⅰ, ADG was increased (P Salmonella spp. in the ileum. The pH of colon digesta was lower (P Lactobacillus spp. was increased (P E. coli . This study demonstrates that dietary FP improved the growth performance and DM digestibility of weanling pigs. When the dietary FP, and the lactose level were combined there was no evidence of an interaction on growth performance. However, both lactose and FP decreased the emissions of total organic carbon and ammonium.

Feed ingredients used in swine diets contain various levels and availabilities of nutrients. Nutritional precision evaluation of each ingredient is necessary for formulating diets of pigs. Especially, phosphorous (P) is one of important nutrients for metabolism. However, current data of P digestibility were most apparent digestibility. Therefore, this study was aimed to estimate the coefficient of total tract standardized digestibility (CTTSD) of P in cereals and various co-products used in pig diet. Twelve barrows (initial BW ± SD, 46.70 ± 3.21 kg) were used in this experiment. The experimental design was a 12 × 8 incomplete Latin square with 12 diets and 8 periods. Experimental diets were consisted of barley, wheat, lupine kernel (LK), soybean meal (SBM), almond meal (AM), corn gluten meal (CGM), corn gluten feed from China (CGF-C), corn gluten feed from Korea (CGF-C), wheat bran (WB), rice bran (RB), lupine hull (LH) and P-free diet. The CTTAD of Ca was higher in AM than RB and CGF-K. The LK and CGM showed greater CTTSD of P than RB and LH. In conclusion, our results indicated that the cereals and co-products as P sources were the ideally used as an ingredient in mixed diets of the growing-finishing pigs. Keywords: CTTAD, CTTSD, Feed ingredients, Nutrients, Growing-finishing pigs

OBJECTIVE The genetic effects of an individual on the phenotypes of its social partners, such as its pen mates, are known as social genetic effects. This study aims to identify the candidate genes for social (pen-mates') average daily gain (ADG) in pigs by using the genome-wide association approach. METHODS Social ADG (sADG) was the average ADG of unrelated pen-mates (strangers). We used the phenotype data (16,802 records) after correcting for batch (week), sex, pen, number of strangers (1 to 7 pigs) in the pen, full-sib rate (0% to 80%) within pen, and age at the end of the test. A total of 1,041 pigs from Landrace breeds were genotyped using the Illumina PorcineSNP60 v2 BeadChip panel, which comprised 61,565 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. After quality control, 909 individuals and 39,837 markers remained for sADG in genome-wide association study. RESULTS We detected five new SNPs, all on chromosome 6, which have not been associated with social ADG or other growth traits to date. One SNP was inside the prostaglandin F2α receptor (PTGFR) gene, another SNP was located 22 kb upstream of gene interferon-induced protein 44 (IFI44), and the last three SNPs were between 161 kb and 191 kb upstream of the EGF latrophilin and seven transmembrane domain-containing protein 1 (ELTD1) gene. PTGFR, IFI44, and ELTD1 were never associated with social interaction and social genetic effects in any of the previous studies. CONCLUSION The identification of several genomic regions, and candidate genes associated with social genetic effects reported here, could contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of interaction traits for ADG. In conclusion, we suggest that the PTGFR, IFI44, and ELTD1 may be used as a molecular marker for sADG, although their functional effect was not defined yet. Thus, it will be of interest to execute association studies in those genes.

In the present study, the timing was examined of blastocyst collection/formation or of how the duration of post-blastulation culture affected the quality and developmental competence of in vitro-produced pig parthenogenetic embryos. The earliest apoptotic signals were observed at the morula stage while the earliest cytoplasmic fragmentation was observed before the 4- to 8-cell stage of embryo development. Nuclear condensation was detected in morulae and blastocysts, but not all condensed nuclei were positive for the apoptotic signal (TUNEL staining). The mean blastocyst diameter increased with delayed blastocyst collection or extended post-blastulation culture, but decreased with delayed blastocyst formation. Delayed blastocyst collection/formation or an additional day of post-blastulation culture increased the frequencies of apoptosis, condensed nuclei, and low quality blastocysts (those showing a nuclear destruction that negated counting of the nuclei); increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic BAX gene; and reduced the ratio of ICM (inner cell mass) cells to TE (trophectoderm) cells. In addition, delayed blastocyst formation decreased POU5F1 gene expression. These results suggest that a delay in blastocyst collection/formation or an additional day of culture could increase the incidence of apoptosis, decrease the ICM:TE cell ratio, and influence the gene expression and diameter of blastocysts derived from in vitro-produced pig embryos. These findings provide a useful reference for improving the quality of in vitro-produced embryos.

Adipose tissues are related to the meat quality and economic value of cattle. In particular, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an important factor that influences adipose tissue remodeling. The objective of this study was to measure the expression levels of ECM-related genes in different adipose tissues from bulls, cows, and steers of Korean cattle (Hanwoo). The sample tissues were separated from omental (OM), subcutaneous (SC), and intramuscular (IM) adipose tissues. The expression levels of 24 ECM-related genes and proteins were determined using real-time PCR and Western blot analysis, respectively. We also observed that castration resulted in increased (P

The aim of this study is to investigate whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress attenuation could improve porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryo developmental competence. We treated porcine SCNT embryos with TUDCA (tauroursodeoxycholic acid, an inhibitor of ER stress) and/or TM (tunicamycin, an ER stress inducer), and examined embryonic developmental potential, embryo quality, the levels of ER stress markers (XBP1 protein and mRNA) and apoptosis-related-genes (BAX and BCL2 mRNA). Immunostaining detected X-box-binding protein (XBP1), a key gene regulator during ER stress, at all stages of SCNT embryo development. Embryo development analysis revealed that TUDCA treatment markedly increased (p

For evaluating the boar semen quality, sperm motility (MOT) is an important parameter because the movement of spermatozoa indicates active metabolism, membrane integrity and fertilizing capacity. Estrogen receptors 2(ESR2) is involved in estrogen related apoptosis in cell cycle spermatogenesis, but their functions have not been confirmed in pig until now. Therefore, this study was conducted to analyze their association with sperm motility and kinematic characteristics. DNA samples from 105 Duroc pigs with records of semen motility and kinematic characteristics [Total motile spermatozoa (MOT), Curvilinear velocity(VCL), Straight-line velocity(VSL), the ratio between VSL and VCL(LIN), Amplitude of Lateral Head displacement(ALH)] were analyzed. A SNP in coding region of ESR2 g.35547A > G in exon 5 was associated with MOT (p < 0.05) in Duroc population. Therefore, we suggest that the porcine ESR2 gene may be used as a molecular marker for Duroc boar semen quality, although its functional effects were not defined yet. These results might shed new light on the roles of ESR2 in spermatogenesis as candidate gene for boar fertility, but still the lack of association across populations should be considered.

Value of excellent breeding animals is important in livestock industry, but their economic life time is limited. And, many countries have been trying procuration of genetic resource in good animals. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine embryo production and to test efficiency of embryo transfer via non-surgical artificial insemination (AI) in different breed of superior sows. A total of 17 sows were used in this experiment (Duroc, n=10; Landrace, n=4; Yorkshire, n=3). The sows were artificially inseminated by semen of same breed boars. After 4 or 5 days following the AI, the embryos were obtained from the sows and then transferred to Landrace and Yorkshire recipients (n=3, respectively) by non-surgical method. The corpora lutea tended to be increased in Yorkshire and Landrace than Duroc(28 and 26 vs. 17, respectively). The recovery of embryo was 78.8% in Landrace, 65.4% in Duroc and 51.4% in Yorkshire. Duroc showed lower morulaes and early blastocyst embryos than 2, 4 ,8 and 16 cell. The morula in Yorkshire was higher (p

For evaluating the boar semen quality, sperm motility is an important parameter because the movement of sperm indicates active metabolism, membrane integrity and fertilizing capacity. Phospholipase C zeta (PLCz) is important enzyme in spermatogenesis, but the effect has not been confirmed in pigs yet. Therefore, this study was aimed to analyze their association with sperm motility and kinematic characteristics. DNA samples from 124 Duroc pigs with records of sperm motility and kinematic characteristics [total motile spermatozoa (MOT), curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), the ratio between VSL and VCL (LIN), amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH)] were subjected. A SNP in non-coding region of PLCz g.158 A > C was associated with MOT (p < 0.05), VCL (p < 0.01), LIN (p < 0.01) and ALH (p < 0.05) in Duroc population. Therefore, we suggest that the intron region of the porcine PLCz gene may be used as a molecular marker for Duroc boar semen quality, although its functional effect was not defined yet. Whether the association is due to the candidate gene or not require further verification. Thus, it will be of interest to continue association studies in the regions surrounding those genes.

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× Yorkshire×Duroc (LYD) and Landrace×Yorkshire×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

Background Major amino acids in pig diets are Lys, Met, Thr, and Trp, but little is known about the requirements for the other essential amino acids, especially on odorous compounds and microbial characteristics in feces of growing-finishing pigs. To this end, different levels of amino acid composition added to diets to investigate the effects of amino acid composition on microbial characteristics and odorous compounds concentration. Methods A total eight (n = 8) barrows (Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc) with an average bodyweight of 89.38 ± 3.3 kg were individually fed diets formulated by Korean Feeding Standards 2007 (old version) or 2012 (updated with ideal protein concept) in metabolism crates with two replication. After 15-day adaptation period, fresh faecal samples were collected directly from pigs every week for 4 weeks and analysed for total volatile fatty acids (VFA), phenols and indoles by using gas chromatography. The nitrogen was determined by Kjeldahl method. Bacterial communities were detected by using a 454 FLX titanium pyrosequencing system. Results Level of VFA tended to be greater in 2012 than 2007 group. Among VFAs, 2012 group had greater (p

Purpose: Recently, renewable energy system has been widely used to reduce the energy consumption and CO2 emission of building. A photovoltaic/thermal(PVT) system is a kind of efficient energy uses, which is combined with photovoltaic module and solar thermal collector. PVT system removes heat from PV module by through thermal fluid to raise the performance efficiency of the PV system. However, though PVT system has the merit of the improved efficiency in theoretical approach, there have been few performance analysis for PVT system using the dynamic energy simulation. In this study, in order to establish the optimum design method of this system, simulation was conducted by using individual system modules. Method: For the dynamic simulation, TRNSYS17 was used and local weather data was utilized. Furthermore, the system performance in various installation condition was calculated by case studies. Result: As a result, the amount of electric generation and heat production in each case was found by the simulation. The gap of system performance was also evident according to the installation condition.

Renewable energy systems have received a lot of attention as sustainable technology in building sector. However, the efficiency of the renewable energy systems depends on the surrounding conditions, and it could gradually decrease by excessive and long-term operation. As a solution, a hybrid system can increase the reliability of energy production and decrease investment costs through by reducing the system capacity. The hybrid system operates at the ideal performance, but the design and operation method for hybrid system have not been established. In this paper, the performance of the hybrid system combined with photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) system and ground source heat pump (GSHP) system was analyzed using TRNSYS 17 and feasibility was assessed. The energy consumption and performance efficiency of hybrid system were calculated according to operating modes. Furthermore, seasonal performance factor (SPF) of hybrid system was compared with that of conventional GSHP system. System performance was analyzed in various conditions such as the usage of storage tank heating and set temperature for solar heating. As a result, the average SPF of the developed system increased about 55.3% compared with the GSHP system.

In this study, we used a pig model to investigate the effects of α-solanine (a natural toxin found mainly in potato sprouts) on oocyte maturation, quality and subsequent embryonic development. We found that α-solanine (10 μM) disturbed meiotic resumption and increased abnormal spindle formation and altered the cortical granule (CG) distribution compared with the untreated group. α-Solanine triggered autophagy and apoptosis by increasing the expressions of autophagy-related genes (LC3, ATG7, and LAMP2) and apoptotic related genes (BAX and CASP3). Exposure of porcine oocytes to α-solanine significantly increased the levels of H3K36me3 and H3K27me3. Moreover, α-solanine significantly reduced the cleavage and blastocyst formation rates, decreased the total and inner cell mass cells numbers, and increased apoptosis in these porcine embryos. Taken together, our data indicate that α-solanine toxically impairs oocyte maturation and quality by triggering autophagy/apoptosis and facilitating epigenetic modifications. Furthermore, α-solanine suppressed subsequent embryonic development and reduced embryo quality.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) maintains energy homeostasis in skeletal muscle. Nonetheless, its functional role on protein synthesis with different nutrient availability has not been elucidated. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of AMPK activity on protein content in C2C12 myotubes incubated with low (5 mM; LG) or high (25 mM; HG) glucose media. LG stimulated (p

The study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary energy and protein levels on productivity and feed cost in crossbred chicks. Experiment was divided into starting (0~5 weeks), growing (6~10 weeks), and finishing (11~14 weeks) periods. Design of feeding trials was 3 × 3 factorial to feed different energy and protein levels for starting (ME 2,950, 3,000, and 3,050 kcal/kg CP 18, 19, and 20%), growing (ME 3,000, 3,050, and 3,100 kcal/kg CP 17, 18, and 19%) and finishing (ME 3,050, 3,100, and 3,150 kcal/kg CP 16, 17, and 18%) periods, respectively. In the starting period, weight gain and FCR was improved by dietary protein level (P

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding colored barley (CB) and whole crop barley (WCB) on performance, egg quality and blood composition of laying hens. A total of 280, 35 weeks old Brown Nick laying hens were allocated into the individual cage for the period of four weeks. Experimental diets contained 2,750 kcal/kg ME and 16% CP, respectively. The treatments consisted of 5, 10, 15% CB and WCB as feed ingredients with control and there were five replications in each treatment. Higher egg production was noticed at 10% level of CB and 5% level of WCB in the diets, respectively. Feed intake was higher in WCB and CB treatments compared to those of the control (P