Effect of Fattening Period Length on Intramuscular and Subcutaneous Fatty Acid Profiles in Iberian Pigs Finished in the Montanera Sustainable System

Abstract

Twenty-four extensively reared Iberian pigs were used to study the influence of fattening period length (30, 60 or 90 days) on the fatty acid profiles of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat and the relationships between both profiles. Regarding fatty acid (FA) percentage, PUFA was greater in backfat and MUFA was greater in intramuscular fat (IMF), regardless of fattening period length. The longer fattening period increased MUFA content in backfat (which had a more marked change in oleic acid) and decreased PUFA content in backfat and IMF, but it did not affect SFA content. Within the three-layer subcutaneous backfat, SFA content was greater in the inner layer, MUFA was greater in the outer layer and PUFA was greater in both of these layers. The few differences in FA composition between both adipose tissues suggest that the changes due to the feeding regime are slow and, therefore, although the length of the fattening phase was increased, the fatty acid profile did not change substantially. The strong relationship between the FA profiles of IMF and backfat might be used to predict one profile from the other one when the latter is more readily available for sampling or analytical reasons.

Chemical Characteristics of Croatian Traditional Istarski pršut (PDO) Produced from Two Different Pig Genotypes

“…Together, they represent 93.44 % of total FAs in raw and 85.11 % in matured ham. Those results are close to the results of other studies [ 41 , 50 , 51 ]. Further, in raw and matured ham, a different number of FAs, 11 vs. 26, respectively were detected.…”

“…As expected, a significant influence of Duroc genotype on IMF content was found, which has long been considered one of the breed traits of Duroc [ 38 ] and has been confirmed by many authors [ 2 , 9 , 37 , 39 , 40 ]. Apart from the possible influence of Duroc genotype, the high content of IMF in (LWxL)xD of raw ham is certainly a consequence of the prolonged fattening [ 41 ] and the much higher final weights of the pigs [ 42 ].…”

Quality and Shelf Life of Fresh Meat from Iberian Pigs as Affected by a New Form of Presentation of Oleic Acid and an Organic-Acid Mix in the Diet

“…In this sense, [ 27 , 28 ] reported higher levels of C18:1 n-9 in Iberian pigs fed under free-range conditions than in pigs fed in feedlots with MUFA-enriched diets. In contrast to those results, previous authors [ 7 , 9 , 12 , 33 ] did not find differences in C18:1 n-9 levels when pigs were fed with enriched MUFA. This fact is probably related to the high level of C18:1 n-9 (68.50%) in the concentrates used in our study than that used in other studies (20% in González et al [ 7 ], 24% in Ruiz et al [ 33 ]).…”

“…This fact is significant because it determines the quality of the fat and the meat [ 3 , 6 ], as well as its suitability for processing [ 5 , 25 ]. In this sense, the consumption of acorns and grass from Iberian pigs reared outdoors has been related to the highest-quality meat products [ 8 , 9 ]. The increase in the consumption of Iberian pork products, and the limited production of acorns, have led to the use of concentrates enriched with MUFA, which is becoming a common practice to achieve FA profiles in animal tissues similar to those obtained with the consumption of acorns, as the fatty acid profiles of the animal’s tissues are expected to reflect the fatty acid composition of the feeds received [ 7 , 12 ].…”

“…The digestive characteristics of the gastrointestinal tract of pigs allow the alteration of the fatty acid composition of fat deposits by modifying the fat content in the diet [ 7 ]. The lipid composition of pork could be influenced by several factors, but among those, the breed and the type of diet ingested by the pig at the end of the fattening period are the main factors [ 8 , 9 ]. The improved nutritional and sensory traits are generally attributed to the high oleic acid content of the pig fat and to the presence of certain unsaponifiable components associated with the feeding regime [ 7 ].…”