Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T09:37:26.604Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Genetic parameters for haemoglobin levels in pigs and iron content in pork

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 July 2012

S. Hermesch  and
R. M. Jones
S. Hermesch*
Affiliation:
Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit*, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
R. M. Jones
Affiliation:
Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit*, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
*
†E-mail: Susanne.Hermesch@une.edu.au
Get access

Abstract

Genetic parameters were obtained for iron content in m. longissimus dorsi (2255 records) and haemoglobin levels recorded at 5 (4974 records) and 21 (2405 records) weeks of age in two sire lines from September 2009 until January 2011. The measure of iron in pork was the mean of two replicates. Genetic associations of haematological traits with meat quality traits (2255 records), as well as growth rate and backfat (close to 60 000 records), were estimated. Analyses were based on an animal model using residual maximum likelihood procedures. Iron content in pork was moderately heritable (0.34 ± 0.07) and genetic correlations with haemoglobin measures ranged from 0.39 ± 0.24 to 0.58 ± 0.13, indicating their potential use as selection criteria for increasing iron levels in pork. However, heritabilities for haemoglobin levels were low, ranging from 0.04 ± 0.2 to 0.18 ± 0.04. Procedures to measure haemoglobin on farm may require refinement. Redness of pork, quantified by a* value, had high genetic correlations with iron content (0.90 ± 0.04 to 0.94 ± 0.03) and moderate genetic correlations with haemoglobin levels (0.31 ± 0.22 to 0.55 ± 0.15). Iron content had significant genetic associations with L* measures (−0.61 ± 0.14 to −0.54 ± 0.23), b* value (0.60 ± 0.14 for dorsal b* measure, 0.50 ± 0.15 for average of dorsal and ventral b* measures) and pH at 45 min post mortem (−0.42 ± 0.14). These high genetic correlations between colour measurements and iron content in pork provide further avenues for selection strategies to improve iron content in pork. Current selection practices are not expected to affect iron content in pork, as no significant genetic correlations between performance and haematological traits were found.

Keywords

pigmeat qualitygrowth ratebackfatheritability
Type
Breeding and genetics
Information
animal , Volume 6 , Issue 12 , December 2012 , pp. 1904 - 1912
Copyright
Copyright © The Animal Consortium 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and University of New England.

References

Auvigne, V, Perrin, H, Laval, A, Bertucat, B, Normand, V 2010. Anaemia in the hyperprolific sow: effect of injectable iron administration and relation with fattening score. Proceedings of the 21st IPVS Congress, Vancouver, Canada.Google Scholar
Barton-Gade, PA 1990. Danish experience in meat quality improvement. Proceedings of the 4th World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, vol. XV, pp. 511–520.Google Scholar
Bolormaa, S, Van der Werf, JHJ, Walkden-Brown, SW, Marshall, K, Ruvinsky, A 2010. A quantitative trait locus for faecal worm egg and blood eosinophil counts on chromosome 23 in Australian goats. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 127, 207–214.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bunter, KL, Hermesch, S, Luxford, BG, Graser, H-U, Crump, RE 2005. Insulin-like growth factor-I measured in juvenile pigs is genetically correlated with economically important performance traits. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 783–792.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cottam, Y, Reynolds, G, Purchas, R 2007. Digestion, absorption and the metabolism of iron. Report to Australian Pork Limited, 97pp.Google Scholar
Dannenberger, D, Reichardt, W, Danier, J, Nümberg, K, Nümberg, G, Ender, K 2007. Investigations on selected essential micronutrients in muscle of German pure and crossbred pigs. Fleischwirtschaft 87, 90–93.Google Scholar
Gedde-Dahl, TW, Helgebostad, A 1971. Genetic aspects of resistance to anaemia in mink fed raw fish. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 21, 284–292.Google Scholar
Gilmour, AR, Gogle, BJ, Cullis, BR, Thompson, R 2006. ASReml user guide, release 2.0. VSN International Ltd, Hemel Hempstead, UK.Google Scholar
Gjerlaug-Enger, E, Aass, L, Ødegård, J, Vangen, O 2010. Genetic parameters of meat quality traits in two pig breeds measured by rapid methods. Animal 11, 1832–1843.Google Scholar
Gjerlaug-Enger, E 2011. Genetic analysis of meat, fat and carcass quality traits measured by rapid methods. PhD, Norwegian University of Life Sciences.Google Scholar
Greenfield, H, Arcot, J, Barnes, JA, Cunningham, J, Adorno, P, Stobaus, T, Tume, RK, Beilken, SL, Muller, WJ 2009. Nutrient composition of Australian retail pork cuts 2005/2006. Food Chemistry 117, 721–730.Google Scholar
Greer, EB, Mort, PC, Lowe, TW, Giles, LR 1987. Accuracy of ultrasonic backfat testers in predicting carcass P2 fat depth from live pig measurement and the effect on accuracy of mislocating the P2 site on the live pig. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 27, 27–34.Google Scholar
Haswell, LL 1991. Atomic Absorption Spectrometry: Theory, Design and Application. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Hermesch, S 2006. From genetic to phenotypic trends. AGBU Pig Genetics Workshop, October 2006, Armidale, Australia. Retrieved December 13, 2011, from http://agbu.une.edu.au/pig_genetics/pdf/2006/Paper%10_SH_Trends.pdfGoogle Scholar
Hermesch, S, Luxford, BG, Graser, H-U 2000. Genetic parameters for lean meat yield, meat quality, reproduction and feed efficiency traits for Australian pigs. 2. Genetic relationships between production, carcase and meat quality traits. Livestock Production Science 65, 249–259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
HemoCue® 2011. HemoCue Hb 201+ operating manual. Retrieved June 15, 2011, from http://www.hemocue.comGoogle Scholar
Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board 2001. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin A, vitamin K, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium and zinc. National Academy Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Jones, RM, Hermesch, S 2010. First genetic analysis of blood haemoglobin levels and iron content in pork. AGBU Pig Genetics Workshop, October 2010, Armidale, Australia. Retrieved April 6, 2011, from http://agbu.une.edu.au/pig_genetics/pdf/2010/P03-Rob-Iron%content.pdfGoogle Scholar
Larzul, C, Lefaucheur, L, Ecolan, P, Gogué, J, Talman, A, Sellier, P, Le Roy, P, Monin, G 1997. Phenotypic and genetic parameters for longissimus muscle fiber characteristics in relation to growth, carcass, and meat quality traits in Large White pigs. Journal of Animal Science 75, 3126–3137.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindahl, G, Lundström, K, Tornberg, E 2001. Contribution of pigment content, myoglobin forms and internal reflectance to the colour of pork loin and ham from pure breed pigs. Meat Science 59, 141–151.Google Scholar
Lombardi-Boccia G, Martinez-Dominguez B and Aguzzi 2002. Total haem and non-heme iron in raw and cooked meats. Journal of Food Science 67, 1738–1741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, SI, van der Werf, JHJ, Jacob, RH, Pethick, DW, Pearce, KL, Warner, RD, Geesink, GH, Hocking Edwards, JE, Gardner, GE, Ponnampalam, EN, Kitessa, SM, Ball, AJ, Hopkins, DL 2010. Preliminary estimates of genetic parameters for carcass and meat quality traits in Australian sheep. Animal Production Science 50, 1135–1144.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newcom, DW, Stalder, KJ, Baas, TJ, Goodwin, RN, Parrish, FC, Wiegand, BR 2004. Breed differences and genetic parameters of myoglobin concentration in porcine longissimus muscle. Journal of Animal Science 82, 2264–2268.Google Scholar
National Research Council (NRC) 1998. Nutrient requirements of swine. National Academic Press, Washington, DC, USA.Google Scholar
Oksbjerg, N, Petersen, JS, Sørensen, IL, Henckel, P, Vestergaard, M, Ertbjerg, P, Møller, AJ, Bejerholm, C, Støier, S 2000. Long-term changes in performance and meat quality of Danish Landrace pigs: a study on a current compared with an unimproved genotype. Animal Science 71, 81–92.Google Scholar
Oksbjerg, N, Henckel, P, Andersen, S, Pedersen, B, Nielsen, B 2004. Genetic variation of in vivo muscle glycerol, glycogen, and pigment in Danish purebred pigs. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section A – Animal Science 54, 187–192.Google Scholar
Payne, HG 2009. How does the pre-weaning environment affect gut structure and function, and lifetime performance of the pig? Master of Philosophy. Murdoch University.Google Scholar
Reichardt, W, Müller, S, Leiterer, M 2002. Iron content in musculus longissimus lumorum et thoracis (m.l.l.t.) of fattening pigs. Nahrung/Food 46, 11–14.Google Scholar
Rooke, JA, Flockhart, JF, Sparks, NH 2010. The potential for increasing the concentrations of micro-nutrients relevant to human nutrition in meat, milk and eggs. The Journal of Agricultural Science 148, 603–614.Google Scholar
Sala, C, Ciullo, M, Lanzara, C, Nutile, T, Bione, S, Massacane, R, D'Adamo, P, Gasparini, P, Toniolo, D, Camaschella, C 2008. Variation of hemoglobin levels in normal Italian populations from genetic isolates. Haematologica 93, 1372–1375.Google Scholar
SAS 1999. Enterprise miner, release 9.1. SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA.Google Scholar
Tickle, KM, Grigg, H, Jones, RM, Luxford, BG, Hermesch, S 2011. Breed and slaughter day affects carcase and pork quality. In Manipulating Pig Production XIII, Proceedings of the 13th Biennial Conference of the Australasian Pig Science Association (APSA) (ed RJ van Barneveld), Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 198pp.Google Scholar
Vanderhaeghe, C, Dewulf, J, Vangroenweghe, F, Steyaert, M, de Jong, E, Villareal, I, Lopez, A, Del Pozo Sacristan, R, Maes, D 2010. Effect of peroral iron supplementation in piglets on health and production. Proceedings of the 21st IPVS Congress, Vancouver, Canada.Google Scholar
Warris, PD, Brown, SN, Adams, SJM 1990. Variation in haem pigment concentration and colour in meat from British pigs. Meat Science 28, 321–329.Google Scholar
Wijk, HJ, Arts, DJG, Matthews, JO, Webster, M, Ducro, BJ, Knol, EF 2005. Genetic parameters for carcass composition and pork quality estimated in a commercial production chain. Journal of Animal Science 83, 324–333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar