• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.349-355
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• 2012

Thyroglobulin (TG) gene was known to be regulated fat cell growth and differentiation and the endothelial differentiation sphingolipid G-protein-coupled receptor 1 (EDG1) gene involves blood vessel formation and known to be affecting carcass traits in beef cattle. The aim of this study was to identify the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in both TG and EDG1 genes and to analyze the association with carcass traits in Korean cattle (Hanwoo). The T354C SNP in TG gene located at the 3' flanking region and c.-312A>G SNP located at 3'-UTR of EDG1 gene were used for genotyping the animals using PCR-RFLP method. Three genotypes were identified in T354C SNP in TG gene and only two AA and AG genotypes were observed for the c.-312A>G SNP in EDG1 gene. The results indicated that T354C SNP in TG gene was not significantly associated with carcass traits. However, the c.-312A>G SNP in EDG1 gene had significant effects on backfat thickness (BF) and yield index (YI). These results may provide valuable information for further candidate gene studies affecting carcass traits in Korean cattle and may use as marker assisted selection for improving the quality of meat in Hanwoo.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1529-1535
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• 2006

Leptin has been investigated as a candidate gene for fat characteristics in beef cattle. Previously, we have reported 57 sequence variants discovered in Korean cattle (Bos Taurus coreanae). In this study, we examined the association between polymorphisms of leptin and carcass traits (cold carcass weight (CWT) and marbling score (Marb)) in Korean cattle. Among 57 polymorphisms, 11 common polymorphic sites were genotyped in our beef cattle (n = 437). Statistical analysis revealed that one single nucleotide polymorphism in coding exon (c.+411T>C (A137A)) showed a significant association with the yield trait, CWT. The C-bearing genotypes (CC or CT) of c.+411T>C (A137A) showed the higher CWT (p = 0.006). c.+150C>G (S50S) also showed a significant association with the quality trait, Marb (p = 0.01). Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in leptin might be one of the important genetic factors that influence carcass yield and quality in beef cattle, especially in CWT and Marb.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.158-166
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• 2023

Background: Copy number variation (CNV) can be identified using next-generation sequencing and microarray technologies, the research on the analysis of its association with meat traits in livestock breeding has significantly increased in recent years. Hanwoo is an inherent species raised in the Republic of Korea. It is now considered one of the most economically important species and a major food source mainly used for meat (Hanwoo beef). Methods: In this study, CNVs and the relationship between the obtained CNV regions (CNVRs) can be identified in the Hanwoo steer samples (n = 473) using Illumina Hanwoo SNP 50K bead chip and bioinformatic tools, which were used to locate the required data and meat traits were investigated. The PennCNV software was used for the identification of CNVs, followed by the use of the CNV Ruler software for locating the different CNVRs. Furthermore, bioinformatics analysis was performed. Results: We found a total of 2,575 autosomal CNVs (933 losses, 1,642 gains) and 416 CNVRs (289 gains, 111 losses, and 16 mixed), which were established with ranged in size from 2,183 bp to 983,333 bp and 10,004 bp to 381,836 bp, respectively. Upon analyzing the restriction of minor alleles frequency > 0.05 for meat traits association, 6 CNVRs in the carcass weight, 2 CNVRs in the marbling score, 3 CNVRs in the backfat thickness, and 2 CNVRs in the longissimus muscle area were related to the meat traits. In addition, we identified an overlap of 347 CNVRs. Moreover, 3 CNVRs were determined to have a gene that affects meat quality. Conclusions: Our results confirmed the relationship between Hanwoo CNVR and meat traits, and the possibility of overlapping candidate genes, annotations, and quantitative trait loci that results depended on to contribute to the greater understanding of CNVs in Hanwoo and its role in genetic variation among cattle livestock.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels of lacquer (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) meal on the growth performance, carcass traits, fatty acid profile and meat quality of longissmuss dorsi (LD) muscle in finishing pigs. Pigs (n = 117; Landrace$\times$Yorkshire$\times$Duroc; initial body weight $80{\pm}0.4kg$) were allotted to three dietary treatments and fed lacquer at 0, 2 and 4% of the diet for five weeks. Inclusion of lacquer meal in the diets of pigs had no influence on their growth performance, carcass yield, loin eye area and fat free lean; however, pigs fed lacquer diets had lower backfat (linear, p = 0.006; quadratic, p = 0.004). Pigs fed increasing levels of lacquer meal had lower moisture (linear, p<0.001; quadratic, p = 0.008), crude fat (linear, p<0.001) and crude protein (linear, p<0.001; quadratic, p = 0.002) in LD muscle. The LD muscle of pigs fed lacquer meal had lower pH (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) at 6, 8 and 10 days, and linearly lower thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, p<0.01) at 8 and 10 days and water holding capacity (WHC, p<0.05) at 3, 6, 8 and 10 days. The fatty acid composition of LD muscle revealed linearly lower stearic (p = 0.034) and total saturated fatty acid (p = 0.049) with increasing dietary lacquer meal levels. In general, higher lightness, redness and yellowness values were observed in LD muscle of pigs fed 2% lacquer meal on day 0 and subsequently on 3, 6, 8 and 10 days of refrigerated storage. The results of the current study suggest that lacquer meal can be incorporated up to 4% in the diet of finishing pigs without any adverse effects on performance; moreover, improvements in the meat quality during refrigerated storage can be obtained by inclusion of lacquer meal in the diet of finishing pigs.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.47 no.2
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• pp.69-74
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• 2020

The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of music enrichment on the live body weight of chickens and meat quality grade of the carcasses. Fourteen flocks at four broiler farms with identical windowless houses were provided with identical starter and finisher diets. These were either exposed to classical music or not exposed to any music from the starter to slaughter age. At 30 days posthatch, the chickens were transported from farms to a slaughterhouse. Two hundred carcasses from each flock were randomly selected for measurement of the carcass traits by the licensed meat inspectors at the slaughterhouse. The live body weights at the slaughter age were not significantly different between the two treatments. In addition, music enrichment did not affect meat freshness (i.e., torrymeter values) nor did it affect other carcass trait variables including percentage of bruises, flesh blemishes, abnormalities, and quality A grade. In conclusion, music enrichment did not affect the body weight or carcass quality of broiler chickens.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.249-257
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• 2022

The present study investigates the effects of different inclusion levels of a microwave-dried black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae meal (HILM) on the carcass characteristics, breast meat quality, and fatty acid profiles of leg meat in broiler chickens. A total of 150 male broilers were randomly assigned to three dietary treatment groups (10 replicates·treatment^-1 and 5 birds·replicate^-1). HILM was included at increasing levels (0, 2, and 4%; CON, 2HILM, and 4HILM, respectively) in diets formulated for three feeding phases: starter (1 - 7 d), grower (7 - 21 d), and finisher (21 - 35 d). One bird per replicate was slaughtered at d 35; the carcasses and organs were weighed, and breast and leg meats were excised for a meat analysis. A linear decrease (p < 0.01) was observed for live and carcass weights for the whole period of the experiment, with no difference between the CON and 2HILM groups. Broilers fed HILM showed no significant differences in meat quality parameters, except for an increase in yellowness (b^*) in the 2HILM and 4HILM groups compared to the CON group (p < 0.01). With an increase in the HILM inclusion level, the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) such as lauric, myristic, stearic, arachidic, and heneicosylic acids showed a linear increase (p < 0.01); however, total SFA, monounsaturated fatty acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid did not differ among the dietary treatments. Thus, microwave-dried HILM can be considered as a possible alternative ingredient to soybean meal in broiler diets up to a 2% inclusion level.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.603-611
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to analyze the contribution factors (backfat thickness, eye muscle area, carcass weight, marbling score, and feeding period) affecting meat unit price (South-Korean Won / Kg of meat). The best slaughtering age to maximize unit price was also assumed. All data used in this study were acquired from the Korea Institute for Animal Products Quality Evaluation from 2010 to 2014. Contributions to the estimated unit price of cows by the following factors, backfat thickness, eye muscle area, carcass weights, feeding period, and marbling score were 2.65%, 0.04%, 1.58%, 1.58%, and 95.72%, respectively. Contribution to estimated unit price of steers by the same factors (backfat thickness, eye muscle area, carcass weights, feeding period, and marbling score) were 7.88%, 1.24%, 0.07%, 90.81%, and 95.72%, respectively. Slaughtering ages ranged from 26 to 36 months and the data were separated into each month for an 11 month period. The unit price of meat from Hanwoo slaughtered at 30 months was highest among groups. The lowest unit price was observed in the group belonging to the Hanwoo slaughtered at 36 months. In conclusion, of all contributing factors, marbling score affected unit price the most. Based on our results, it is recommended that the optimal slaughtering age be set at 30 months to maximize unit price. Moreover, the feeding of beef cattle past 30 months of age is not recommended because of the increase in feeding costs.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.667-671
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• 2005

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of the muscle mass and fiber number on post-mortem metabolic rates and pork quality. Carcass traits, muscle fiber characteristics, and type of fiber composition were evaluated using a sample of 200 cross-bred pigs. The muscle mass was divided into two groups according to carcass weight and loin-eye area measurements (heavy or light). In addition, the muscle histological characteristics were divided into two groups according to the muscle fiber density and total number of muscle fibers (high or low). All the carcass traits were significantly different in the muscle mass groups. Increasing weight significantly affected the cross-sectional area (CSA) of all fibers. The low group, which had a low muscle fiber number indicating a larger CSA of fibers, and especially the heavy-low group had the highest CSA levels of fibers. The fiber number percentage and the area percentage were significantly different in the groups categorized by fiber number. The heavy-high group indicated a normal rate of pH decline and the R-value. In addition, pigs with a heavy muscle mass and high muscle fiber number indicated normal drip loss, lightness, and protein denaturation. The present results suggest that increasing the total muscle fiber number has a beneficial effect on increasing the muscle mass without deteriorating the meat quality.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.987-994
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• 2023

This study examined the associations between the genotypes of the galactose mutarotase (GALM) gene and carcass traits in the Hanwoo population of Jeju Island, South Korea. The GALM genotypes were determined by the 14-bp (5'-GGTCTAATGACCAG-3') insertion/deletion (InDel) polymorphisms of the 3'-untranslated region (UTR). All three genotypes (LL, LS, and SS) were found in the Hanwoo steer population. The association analysis showed significant associations between genotypes and several carcass traits, including traits related to intramuscular fat content, such as meat quality, marbling score, and backfat thickness (p<0.05). Animals harboring the SS genotype showed not only higher levels of intramuscular fat content but also lower levels of backfat thickness than animals harboring the LL and LS genotypes. On the other hand, no significant associations were found between the GALM genotypes and carcass weight, eye muscle area, meat color, or fat color (p>0.05). Deleting the 14-bp segment in the 3'-UTR resulted in the modification of the secondary structure of RNA and appeared to affect gene expression by interfering with the binding ability of GALM mRNA with RNA-binding proteins and microRNAs. These results suggest that the 14-bp InDel polymorphism in the 3'-UTR region of the GALM gene affects cattle growth traits and carcass quality through galactose metabolism-mediated fat accumulation in muscle and backfat tissues.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 1988

Ninety feeder steers, predominantly Herefords weighing 280 kg, were assigned at random to each of nine diets: basal (high concentrate); 25 or 50% of untreated rice straw (25- or 50 URS) or ammoniated rice straw (25- or 50 ARS); a 50:50 mixture of URS - alfalfa or ARS - alfalfa replacing a proportion of the basal at 25 and 50%. Animals were slaughtered after 154 or 161 days of feeding. The cattle fed 50% URS had the lowest (P<.05) carcass weight, dressing & external fat thickness, kidney, pelvic and heart fat, rib eye area, marbling score, quality and yield grades, followed by cattle fed 50% ARS, 50% rice straw/alfalfa, and 25% rice straw alone or 25% rice straw/alfalfa mixture. Ammoniation of rice straw improved all measured traits. A 25% substitution of basal diet with untreated or ammoniated rice straw and a 50% substitution with rice straw/alfalfa mixture did not significantly affect carcass traits compared to the basal group. Only 50% ARS and 50% URS cattle showed differences in body composition (P<.05) with lower fat and higher water and protein contents. No significant differences were found in shear value, panel tenderness, connective tissue, juiciness, flavor and overall palatability of meat from steers fed the basal, ARS or URS diets.