Effect of pantothenic acid level in the diet of the finishing heavy pig on carcass and meat quality traits

LO FIEGO, Domenico Pietro
MINELLI, Giovanna
IELO, Maria Cristina
P. Macchioni
P. Santoro

Open link

Publication date

January 2009

DOI

10.4081/ijas.2009.s2.504

Publisher

PAGEPress Publications

ISSN

1828-051X

Citation count (estimate)

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of vitamin B5 dietary level on carcass and meat quality characteristics in the heavy pig. To this aim, 42 pigs, 21 gilts and 21 barrows, of similar weight and age, evenly divided into 3 groups of 14 subjects each, were fed, from approx. 95 kg live weight (lw) till slaughtering (around 165 kg lw), the same basal diet containing either 10 (control, C), or 60 (T1), or 110 ppm (T2) pantothenic acid. At increasing dietary levels of vitamin B5, only numerical improvements of lean meat and lean cuts percentages were observed, whereas total adipose cuts, backfat and jowl percentages decreased (P<0.05). Ham characteristics and meat quality traits, such as colour, pH, intramuscular fat and protein contents, were no...