Effects of nutritional level on pork quality and gene expression of micro-calpain and calpastatin in muscle of finishing pigs

Meat Sci. 2010 Aug;85(4):768-71. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2010.04.002. Epub 2010 Apr 10.

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the effects of nutritional level (control diet (CD), 14.19% crude protein, 13.81MJ of DE/kg; low nutritional level diet (LND), 11.08% crude protein, 12.55MJ of DE/kg) on pork quality and gene expression of mu-calpain and calpastatin in muscle of finishing pigs. The LND treatment increased drip loss (P<0.05), had a trend to increase intramuscular fat (IMF) content (P=0.09), decreased Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of pork (P<0.05), improved mRNA level of mu-calpain (P<0.05) in skeletal muscle, but had no effect on gene expression of calpastatin, compared with the CD treatment. These data suggest that a moderately reduced energy and protein diet increased pork tenderness and intramuscular fat. The increase in tenderness by LND treatment may be partly due to increased gene expression of mu-calpain in muscle.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed / standards
  • Animals
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Calpain / genetics
  • Calpain / metabolism*
  • Diet / standards*
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Energy Intake
  • Fats / analysis
  • Food Technology
  • Gene Expression*
  • Meat / standards*
  • Muscle Proteins / genetics
  • Muscle Proteins / metabolism*
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism*
  • Nutritive Value
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Stress, Mechanical
  • Swine

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • Fats
  • Muscle Proteins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • calpastatin
  • Calpain