Dietary lecithin improves feed efficiency without impacting meat quality in immunocastrated male pigs and gilts fed a summer ration containing added fat

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and dietary lecithin on growth performance, meat quality, muscle collagen content and gene expression of key genes involved in collagen synthesis in finisher pigs. A total of 256 pigs (Large White × Landrace) were allotted to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement involving sex (gilt or immunocastrated [IC] male) and dietary treatment (0 or 5 g/kg of dietary lecithin). All diets were formulated to contain 4.6% tallow with relatively high total fat of 6.3%. After 5 weeks of dietary treatment, pigs were slaughtered and Longissimus dorsi muscle was obtained for evaluation of meat quality and collagen content. Rectus abdominis muscle was analysed for gene expression of key genes involved in collagen synthesis namely, type I (α1) procollagen (COL1A1), type III (α1) procollagen (COL3A1), α-subunit of prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H), lysyl oxidase and metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1). The results showed that lecithin improved feed efficiency of all pigs (P < 0.05) but it had no effect on feed intake, average daily gain and dressing percentage (P > 0.05). Lecithin also had no effect on meat compression, shear force, collagen content and gene expression (P > 0.05). Immunocastrated male had higher growth rate and increased COL1A1 expression than gilts. However, sex had no effect on fat depth at the P2 site (65 mm from the midline over the last rib), collagen content and expression of other genes (P > 0.05). In conclusion, lecithin improved feed efficiency in finishing pigs without impacting pork quality. Thus, inclusion of lecithin in diets containing high amount of tallow during the summer period could be beneficial.

The effects of breed and gender on meat quality of Duroc, Pietrain, and their crossbred

“…Variation in meat characteristics caused by gender can be explained by gender's influence on protein and body fat depositions [29]. Regarding the physicochemical traits (Table 1), the gilts in this study had greater IMF than castrates (2.68% vs. 2.22%).…”

Metabolomics Profile and Targeted Lipidomics in Multiple Tissues Associated with Feed Efficiency in Beef Steers

“…26,27 However, phosphatidylcholine has not been extensively studied in beef cattle. Certainly, dietary supplementation with lecithin improves the feed conversion rate in pigs on a high-fat diet during finishing period, 28 and rumen-protected choline supplementation has been shown to promote weight gain and improve meat quality in young lambs. 29 In addition, differential gene expression and transcripts already highlighted the importance of phospholipids metabolism in cattle feed efficiency.…”

“…Indeed, the supplementation of rumen-protected choline (as a precursor of phospholipids) reduced triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver and increased milk yield during the transition period in dairy ruminants. , However, phosphatidylcholine has not been extensively studied in beef cattle. Certainly, dietary supplementation with lecithin improves the feed conversion rate in pigs on a high-fat diet during finishing period, and rumen-protected choline supplementation has been shown to promote weight gain and improve meat quality in young lambs . In addition, differential gene expression and transcripts already highlighted the importance of phospholipids metabolism in cattle feed efficiency. , Despite dietary phospholipids are extensively degraded by the rumen and PC concentration depends almost exclusively upon endogenous synthesis, understanding of the requirements of PC is needed to improve feed efficiency in beef cattle.…”

Growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood lipid profile and faecal Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus counts on growing pigs fed with de-oiled lecithin emulsifier

“…Recently, Attia et al (2018) investigated that supplementation with 1% or 1.5% soya lecithin improved rabbit growth performance and fat digestibility in both summer and winter. Additionally, Akit et al (2018) reported that lecithin improved feed efficiency in finishing pigs without impacting pork quality.…”