The observation of qualitative characteristics of adipose tissue in pigs with regard to different live weight and sex

The aim of this study was to determine, the influence of gender and the live weight on qualitative indicators of adipose tissue. A total of 40 pigs were divided into four groups according to gender (barrows, immunocastrates, young boars and gilts). According to live weight, these individuals were divided into two groups: up to 104.9 kg of live weight and up from 105 kg of live weight. The influence of gender and live weight on production indicators were examined as follows: daily feed consumption, average daily gain and conversion ratio, as well as colour and perforation of fat, fat content of neck, ham, loin and shoulder, fatty acid content and histology of fat cells. Daily food consumption was statistically significant with respect to gender, when the highest consumption was measured in barrows to 104.9 kg of live weight (3.97 kg) and the lowest consumption was measured in gilts of the same live weight (3.09 kg). The live weight had significant effect on the average daily gain. It had been proved, that increasing daily gain grew up with live weight. The lowest daily gain had the immunocastrates from 104.9 kg of live weight (991.43 g) and the highest gain had barrows of live weight above 105 kg (1211.79 g). Furthermore, it was found that the average feed conversion is reduced in pigs above 105 kg of live weight. Physical quality indicators of fat were not statistically significant, however, according to the test results the lowest values of fat perforation were measured in both cases in barrows in 104.9 kg of live weight (lower 40.39 N upper 52.79 N), indicating that barrows to 104.9 kg of bodyweight have the most delicate fat. In the study of the fat content in the main meat parts, the most statistically significant differences were in the content of intramuscular fat between genders, namely in slaughter parts of ham and shoulder. The highest content of intramuscular fat in ham was measured in gilts to 104.9 kg of live weight (5.18%) and the lowest content in young boars to 104.9 kg of live weight (0.73%). At the shoulder, the highest intramuscular fat content was measured in barrows to 104.9 kg (2.86%) of live weight and the lowest in gilts to 104.9 kg of live weight (1.79%). Generally, the test results shows, that barrows have the most IMF, whereas the gilts have the lowest. Regarding to fatty acids content, the most significant differences were measured in content of saturated fatty acids, where the highest percentage was measured in barrows above 105 kg of live weight (52.15%), contrary the lowest content was measured in young boars to 104.9 kg of live weight (49.2%). Fat cells histology showed no statistical significance barrows to 104.9 kg of live weight had the largest area of fat cells, while the smallest area of fat cells was detected in young boars of live weight above 105 kg. Statistical significance for other indicators have not been established