Pork quality traits and associated muscle metabolic changes in pigs under chronic prenatal and postnatal heat stress

Abstract

Chronic heat stress (HS) is a major concern affecting pig growth performance and metabolism, with potential consequences on carcass and meat quality traits. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of prenatal (PE) and growing (GE) thermal environments, and their combination, on muscle metabolism, carcass characteristics, and pork quality. From 6 to 109 d of gestation, 12 sows (1 per block) were kept under thermoneutral (TN) conditions (cyclic 18 to 24 °C; PTN) and 12 sows under chronic HS (cyclic 28 to 34 °C; PHS). Two female offspring per sow were selected based on body weight at weaning, for a total of 48 female pigs (12 blocks of 2 sisters from each PE) and one sister was placed in each GE. Gilts were housed from 82 to 140 d of age under cyclic GTN (18 to 24 °C; n = 24) or GHS (28 to 34 °C; n = 24) environments. Data were analyzed using a mixed model including PE, GE and PE × GE interaction as main effects, and sire, sow within PE, pen within PE × GE, and slaughter day (for plasma, muscle and meat traits) as random effects. No significant PE × GE interaction was found on any trait under study (P ≥ 0.05). Prenatal HS did not affect growth performance and carcass traits (P ≥ 0.05). Compared with GTN, GHS pigs had lower average daily feed intake, average daily gain and hot carcass weight (P < 0.01), but similar carcass lean meat content (P ≥ 0.05). Prenatal HS hard scarce effects on pork quality, with only higher a* and C* values (P < 0.05) in the Gluteus superficialis. Growing HS led to higher pH 24 h (P < 0.05) in the Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and ham muscles, and higher meat quality index in the ham muscles. In contrast, quality traits of the Semispinalis capitis (SC) were not affected by either PE or GE (P > 0.05). Except a tendency for a higher citrate synthase activity in the SC (P = 0.065), PHS did not affect muscle metabolism. Growing HS induced muscle-specific metabolic responses, with reduced glycolytic potential (P < 0.01) and metabolic enzyme activities (P < 0.05) in the glycolytic LTL, but not in the oxidative SC (P > 0.05). Plasma glucose content at slaughter was lower in the GHS compared with GTN pigs (P = 0.002), indicating an altered energy metabolism in pigs under GHS. Altogether, growing HS altered growth without affecting carcass traits, but improved technological quality of loin and ham. Prenatal HS, alone or combined with GHS, had limited or even no effect on carcass and pork quality.

Multi-tissue metabolic and transcriptomic responses to a short-term heat stress in swine

“…In agreement with the results of Lebret et al [25], HS pigs tended to have a lower lactate blood concentration. As lactatemia results from an equilibrium between lactate production and consumption, we can rst suggest that hypolactatemia measured in the present study may result from the hepatic regeneration of glucose from lactic acid produced in muscle via the Cori cycle.…”

“…This could suggest that lactate could be used directly as an energy substrate in HS conditions leading to a lower muscle lactate concentration during the acute phase responses to HS. Lebret et al [25] suggests that an increased activity of LDH could be related to an adaptation to acute HS, whereas a reduced muscle glycolysis occurs during long-term exposure.…”