Pacific whiting protein solubility was significantly affected as the pH shifted away from the isoelectric point (pH 5.5). The highest breaking force of gels was measured for fish proteins treated at pH 11, while high deformation values were obtained at pH 2 and 11. Sodium dodecylsulfatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that fish proteins were highly degraded by acid or alkali treatment. High activity of cathepsin B-like enzyme was detected from acid-aided fish proteins. Strong cathepsin L-like activity was found in fish proteins treated at pH 10.5, corresponding well to the lower breaking force and deformation. Disulfide bonds were thought to contribute to the high texture value of fish proteins treated at pH 11.KEY WORDS: acid-aided processing, alkali-aided processing, fish proteins, pH.

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.

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic correlation (r pc) of growth performance between purebred (Duroc and Korean native) and synthetic (Woori black) pigs using a single-step method. Methods: Phenotypes of 15,902 pigs with genotyped data from 1,792 pigs from a nucleus farm were used for this study. We estimated the r pc of several performance traits between Woori black and purebred pigs: day of target weight (DAY), backfat thickness (BF), feed conversion rate (FCR), and residual feed intake (RFI). The variances and covariances of the studied traits were estimated by an animal multi-trait model that applied the Bayesian inference. Results: r pc within traits was lower than 0.1 for DAY and BF, but high for FCR and RFI; in particular, r pc for RFI between Duroc and Woori black pigs was nearly 1. Comparison between different traits revealed that RFI in Duroc pigs was associated with different traits in Woori black pigs. However, the most of r pc between different traits were estimated with very low or with high standard deviation. Conclusion: The results indicated that there were substantial differences in r pc of traits in the synthetic Woori black pigs, which could be caused by these pigs having a more complex origin than other crossbred pigs. RFI was strongly correlated between Duroc and Woori black pigs, and these breeds might have similar single nucleotide polymorphism effects that control RFI. RFI is more essential for metabolism than other growth traits and these metabolic characteristics in purebred pigs, such as nutrient utilization, could significantly affect those in synthetic pigs. The findings of this study can be used to elucidate the genetic architecture of crossbred pigs and help develop new breeds with particular target traits.