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A performance test for boar taint compounds in live boars

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2012

C. Baes ,
S. Mattei ,
H. Luther ,
S. Ampuero ,
X. Sidler ,
G. Bee ,
P. Spring  and
A. Hofer
C. Baes*
Affiliation:
School of Animal, Forest and Food Sciences, Agronomy Department, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Langgasse 85, CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
S. Mattei
Affiliation:
Department of Swine Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
H. Luther
Affiliation:
Department of Breeding, SUISAG, Allmend 8, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
S. Ampuero
Affiliation:
Analytics Department, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP, rte de la Tioleyre 4, CH-1725 Posieux, Switzerland
X. Sidler
Affiliation:
Department of Swine Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
G. Bee
Affiliation:
Analytics Department, Agroscope Liebefeld-Posieux ALP, rte de la Tioleyre 4, CH-1725 Posieux, Switzerland
P. Spring
Affiliation:
School of Animal, Forest and Food Sciences, Agronomy Department, Bern University of Applied Sciences, Langgasse 85, CH-3052 Zollikofen, Switzerland
A. Hofer
Affiliation:
Department of Breeding, SUISAG, Allmend 8, CH-6204 Sempach, Switzerland
*
†E-mail: baesc@ethz.ch
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Abstract

Genetically reducing boar taint using low-taint lines is considered the most sustainable and economic long-term alternative to surgical castration of male pigs. Owing to the high heritability of the main boar taint components (androstenone, skatole and indole), breeding is an excellent tool for reducing the number of tainted carcasses. To incorporate boar taint into breeding programmes, standardized performance testing is required. The objective of this study was to develop and formally present a performance test for the main boar taint compounds on live breeding candidates. First, a standardized performance test for boar taint was established. A biopsy device was developed to extract small tissue samples (200 to 300 mg) from breeding candidates. Quantification of boar taint components from these small samples using specialized chemical extraction methods proved accurate and repeatable (r = 0.938). Following establishment of the method, biopsy samples of 516 live boars (100 to 130 kg live weight) were collected in the second step. Various mixed linear models were tested for each boar taint compound; models were ranked in terms of their information content. Pedigree information of 2245 ancestors of biopsied animals was included, and genetic parameters were estimated using univariate and multivariate models. Androstenone (in μg/g liquid fat (LF): mean = 0.578, σ = 0.527), skatole (in μg/g LF: mean = 0.033, σ = 0.002) and indole (in μg/g LF: mean = 0.032, σ = 0.002) levels obtained by biopsy were plausible. Heritability estimates for androstenone calculated with univariate (0.453) and multivariate (0.452) analyses were comparable to those in the literature. Heritabilities for skatole (0.495) and indole (0.550) were higher than that for androstenone. Genetic and phenotypic correlations were similar to those published previously. Our results show that data on boar taint compounds from small adipose samples obtained by biopsy provide similar genetic parameters as that described in the literature for larger samples and are therefore a reliable performance test for boar taint in live breeding candidates.

Keywords

boar taintperformance testingbiopsyvariance componentsgenetic parameters
Type
Breeding and genetics
Information
animal , Volume 7 , Issue 5 , May 2013 , pp. 714 - 720
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

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Footnotes

*

Both authors contributed equally to this manuscript.

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Supplementary material: Image

Baes Supplementary Material

Supplementary Figure S1: a) Biopsy device for extracting adipose tissue. The device is equipped with a compression spring and a dismountable cylindrical grip. The apex of the reusable needle is slightly tapered. The needle (b) has a window for removing tissue cores.

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Supplementary material: Image

Baes Supplementary Material

Supplementary Figure S2: Optimal location and angle of biopsy.

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