• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.857-864
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation on protein acetylation and glycolysis in postmortem muscle to better understand the mechanism by which AMPK regulates postmortem glycolysis and meat quality. Methods: A total of 32 mice were randomly assigned to four groups and intraperitoneally injected with 5-Aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide1-${\beta}$-D-ribofuranoside (AICAR, a specific activator of AMPK), AICAR and histone acetyltransferase inhibitor II, or AICAR, Trichostatin A (TSA, an inhibitor of histone deacetylase I and II) and Nicotinamide (NAM, an inhibitor of the Sirt family deacetylases). After mice were euthanized, the Longissimus dorsi muscle was collected at 0 h, 45 min, and 24 h postmortem. AMPK activity, protein acetylation and glycolysis in postmortem muscle were measured. Results: Activation of AMPK by AICAR significantly increased glycolysis in postmortem muscle. At the same time, it increased the total acetylated proteins in muscle 45 min postmortem. Inhibition of protein acetylation by histone acetyltransferase inhibitors reduced AMPK activation induced increase in the total acetylated proteins and glycolytic rate in muscle early postmortem, while histone deacetylase inhibitors further promoted protein acetylation and glycolysis. Several bands of proteins were detected to be differentially acetylated in muscle with different glycolytic rates. Conclusion: Protein acetylation plays an important regulatory role in postmortem glycolysis. As AMPK mediates the effects of pre-slaughter stress on postmortem glycolysis, protein acetylation is likely a mechanism by which antemortem stress influenced postmortem metabolism and meat quality though the exact mechanism is to be elucidated.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2003

This study was carried out to find out PSS(Porcine Stress Syndrome) with the PSE(Pale, Soft, Exudative) in different piglets. These experiments were accomplished with the aid of PCR-RFLP(Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism). The samples were collected and examined from umbilical cord blood of piglets of Yorkshire, Landrace and Crossbred. And then, the PCR products were digested by restriction enzyme, Hha I. The results obtained were as follows; The PCR products of the blood genomic DNA of ryanodine receptor gene were length of 1 .8kb in umbilical cord blood. Normal type(NN), heterozygous type(Nn) and recessively homozygous type(nn, PSS) as a result of digestion of restriction enzyme, Hha 1, were 90.0%, 10.0% and 0.0% in Yorkshire piglets, 76.2%, 19.0% and 4.8% in Landrace, 69.1%, 23.8% and 7.1% in crossbred, respectively. As already showing the above results, the blood from piglets umbilical cord can be availably used for the determination of genotypes of PSS because of easiness of blood collection without stress in live piglets.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.861-867
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• 2023

Lairages serve several functions, such as providing post-mortal inspections and providing a reservoir of animals to ensure the slaughter line runs efficiently. High stress lairage conditions can contribute to the accumulation of transport stress in pigs, causing poor pork quality and still stressed pigs at slaughter. The objective of this study was to investigate meat quality, blood profile and behavior changes according to lairage stocking density in in high temperature. Density treatments were as follows: LD, low density (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg); ND, normal density (0.5 m²/100 kg to 0.83 m²/100 kg); HD, high density (higher than 0.83 m²/100 kg). Air temperature treatment was as follows: HT, high temperature (higher than 24℃). Pigs stocked with LD showed lower pH, WHC (water holding capacity), and higher DL (drip loss) and CL (cooking loss) than those stocked with HD. Pigs stocked with LD showed lower cortisol level than those stocked with HD. Therefore, Pigs exposed to high stock density (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg) in high air temperature during pre-slaughter caused acute stress and lead to PSE (pale, soft, exudative) pork incidence. Based on obtained results, stocking of too high (lower than 0.5 m²/100 kg) density is generally not good for meat quality and animal welfare at high temperatures.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.349-354
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• 2004

Stress-susceptible pigs have been known as the porcine stress syndrome (PSS), swine PSS, also known as malignant hyperthermia (MH), is characterized as sudden death and production of poor meat quality such as PSE (pale, soft and exudative) meat after slaughtering. PSS and PSE meat cause major economic losses in the pig industry. A point mutation in the gene coding for the ryanodine receptor (RYR1) in porcine skeletal muscle, also known calcium (Ca$^{2+}$) release channel, has been associated with swine PSS and halothane sensitivity. We used the PCR-RFLP(restriction fragment length polymorphism) and PCR-SSCP (single strand conformation polymorphism) methods to detect the PSS gene mutation (C1843T) in the RYR1 gene and to estimate genotype frequencies of PSS gene in Korean pig breed populations. In PCR-RFLP and SSCP analyses, three genotypes of homozygous normal (N/M), heterozygous carrier (N/n) and homozygous recessive mutant (n/n) were detected using agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively. The proportions of normal, carrier and PSS pigs were 57.1, 35.7 and 7.1％ for Landrace, 82.5, 15.8 and 1.7％ far L. Yorkshire, 95.2, 4.8 and 0.0％ for Duroc and 72.0, 22.7 and 5.3％ for Crossbreed. Consequently, DNA-based diagnosis for the identification of stress-susceptible pigs of PSS and pigs producing PSE meat is a powerful technique. Especially, PCR-SSCP method may be useful as a rapid, sensitive and inexpensive test for the large-scale screening of PSS genotypes and pigs with PSE meat in the pork industry.y.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.1323-1340
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• 2023

There are several factors that affect the welfare and meat quality of pigs during pre-slaughter transport. Among various factors, the effects of weather conditions and loading density were studied. A total of 3,726 finishing pigs were allotted to one of nine groups arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial design according to the weather conditions (low temperature [LT], under 10℃; normal temperature [NT], 10℃-24℃; high temperature [HT], upper 24℃), and loading density (low density [LD], upper 0.43 m²/100 kg; normal density [ND], 0.37-0.43 m²/100 kg; high density [HD], under 0.37 m²/100 kg). Each treatment group follow as: LTLD, LTND, LTHD, NTLD, NTND, NTHD, HTLD, HTND, HTHD. In terms of carcass composition, pigs had the highest carcass weight and backfat thickness at LT. Comparing the HD transport to the ND transport, the meat quality indicated a lower pH and more drip loss. The incidence rate of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) pork was high in the order of the HD, LD, and the ND transport (20%, 9%, and 2%, respectively). The HT transport showed the lowest pH and greatest L^* value under the given weather conditions. Pigs transported under the HTHD and LTLD conditions had the greatest rates of PSE pork (40% and 20%, respectively). Pigs exposed to HD transport had the shortest laying time and the highest overplap behavior. The LDLT transport pigs had a shorter laying time than the LDNT and LDHT transport pigs. In conclusion, too high or too low density transport is generally not excellent for meat quality or animal welfare, however it is preferable to transport at a slightly low density at high temperature and at a slightly high density at low temperature.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.81-88
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• 2007

One hundred and forty-four cross-bred market pigs weighing approximately 110 kg were randomly divided into six groups in a 3 (duration of fasting prior to loading; 0, 12 and 24 h) ${\times}$ 2 (handling stress; minimal vs stimulated handling stress) factorial arrangement of treatments. The stimulated handling stress group received overally rough handling including electric prod stimulation during loading, transport and lairage at least once at each step. All the animals received 3-h lairage prior to slaughter. Blood and longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) samples were taken at slaughter and after overnight chilling of the carcass, respectively. Mean plasma glucose concentration, as expected, was less in the 12 h- or 24 h-fasting group than in the 0 h-fasting, whereas cortisol concentration was greater (P<0.05) in the 24 h- vs 0 h-fasting group. Plasma concentrations of stress indicators glucose, cortisol, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were greater in the stimulated vs minimal handling stress group. There were no interactions between the duration of fasting and handling stress in their effects on these blood variables. The incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) carcass and drip loss of LM were reduced in the 12 h- or 24 h- vs 0 h-fasting group, whereas the 24-h postmortem LM pH and color including the lightness and redness were not affected by the duration of fasting. The incidence of PSE carcass and physicochemical characteristics of LM, however, were not changed by the stimulated vs minimal handling stress. In conclusion, results suggest that fasting the market pig overnight prior to transport is desirable in terms of reducing the incidence of PSE carcass. Rough handling of market pigs may not affect the carcass quality of the animals when an enough lairage time is provided. However, rough handling inflicts a stimulated stress on the animal, which is manifested by increased blood concentrations of stress indicators, and therefore should be avoided fer animal welfare.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.9-14
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• 2009

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three types of transportation distance (short: less than 40 km; intermediate: 70~80 km; long: 140~150 km) on quality of whole chicken and chicken meat cuts. In whole chicken, $1^+$ grade chicken incidence after transportation of short, intermediate, and long distance transportation was 61.3, 56.3, and 43.8%, respectively. Bruise was not shown in breast and thigh, while wings with bruise after short and long distance transportation were 16.7% and 27.3%, respectively. For chicken meat cuts, $1^+$ grade chicken breast incidence after short distance transportation was 14% higher than that after long distance transportation. Bruised chicken breast after short and long distance transportation were 10 and 12%. Pale, soft, and exudative (PSE) chicken breast incidence after long distance transportation was higher (18.3%) than that after short distance transportation (7.0%). Chicken thigh cuts with $1^+$ grade after short and long distance transportation were shown 91.2% and 88.3%, respectively. Also, chicken wing cuts showed similar result to chicken thigh cuts' and $1^+$ grade incidence of chicken wings after short distance transportation was 11% higher than that of after long distance transportation. These results suggest that shorter transportation distance from farm to slaughter house result in high grade whole chicken and chicken meat cuts.