Effect of pig genotypes from Slovak and Polish breeds on meat quality

Abstract. Nowadays, meat and meat products from indigenous pig breeds are desired by consumers for their high sensory quality. For that reason, the trend to use indigenous pig breeds for production of these products has widened. The aim of this study was to compare physical and chemical parameters of Musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) as well as content of cholesterol and fatty acid profiles among Mangalitsa, the crossbreed Mangalitsa × Duroc, and pig meat breed Slovak Large White with Polish indigenous breeds Pulawska and Zlotnicka spotted. In the study, 48 pigs were used. The pigs were divided into 5 groups of different genotypes: Mangalitsa breed ( n = 9), the crossbreed Mangalitsa × Duroc ( n = 9), Slovak Large White – SLW ( n = 10), Zlotnicka spotted ( n = 10) and Pulawska ( n = 10). The pigs were reared under intensive conditions, and they were fed by an ad libitum system with complete feed mixtures. The fattening period lasted from 30 to 100 kg of live weight. The SLW had the highest average daily gain with the lowest feed intake compared to Mangalitsa, the crossbreed Ma × Du and Polish indigenous breeds ( P 0.001). SLW had the highest meat content in the carcass while Mangalitsa had the lowest ( P 0.001). Mangalitsa and their crossbreed Ma × Du had the highest fat content in the carcass, but the SLW and Polish indigenous pig breeds had the lowest fat content in the carcass ( P 0.001). As regards the physical properties of MLD, the Polish indigenous pig breeds achieved the highest values of pH 45 min post mortem, the lowest drip loss values, the lowest colour values of CIE L * and the highest values of CIE b* compared to other genotypes in the experiment ( P 0.001). However the meat of crossbreed Ma × Du had pale, soft and exudative (PSE)-like conditions due to the low pH 45 min post mortem, the high values of drip loss and CIE L * . The crossbreed Ma × Du and Polish indigenous pig breeds had the highest content of intramuscular fat in MLD compared to Mangalitsa and SLW ( P 0.001). The cholesterol content in MLD was the highest in Polish pig breeds and the lowest in SLW ( P 0.001). Regarding the fatty acid content in the meat, intramuscular fat (IMF) from Zlotnicka spotted was significantly the most polyunsaturated with the highest percentages of C18:2 n -6, C20:5 n -3 and C22:6 n -3, and it had the lowest percentages of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) as well as contents of C18:1cis-9 and C18:1trans-11 compared to other genotypes ( P 0.001). IMF from Slovak Large White was the most saturated and monounsaturated with the highest content of C18:1cis-9, and it has the lowest percentages of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in IMF compared to genotypes in the study ( P 0.001). From the results, it follows that the Polish indigenous pig breeds are more suitable for the breeding and production of special meat products due to acceptable fattening and carcass parameters as well as the meat quality. As regards fatty acid composition of meat, the direct influence between fatty acid composition in diet and in Musculus longissimus dorsi was not determined. However, the genotypes have a significant impact on fatty acid profiles in MLD.