• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.790-798
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• 2021

The objective of this study was evaluation of pig behavior changes related to temperature, relative humidity, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and illuminance. A total of 24 growing pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) were used in the experiment. A sensor was installed at a height of 0.5 m in the center of the pig house. In experiment 1, temperature was changed every four days to 18℃ (T1), 22℃ (T2), 26℃ (T3), and then 30℃ (T4). In experiment 2, relative humidity was adjusted to 45% (low humidity [LH]), 60% (middle humidity [MH]), and then 75% (high humidity [HH]) for four days. In experiment 3, after cleaning the pig house just before experiment, only minimal ventilation was provided. VOCs and pig behaviors were observed for 7 days without cleaning the pig house. In experiment 4, three light bulbs of 40 W (470 lumens / 45 lx; low illuminance [LI]), 75 W (1,055 lumens / 103 lx; middle illuminance [MI]), and 100 W (1,521 lumens / 146 lx; high illuminance [HI]) were used for four days each. Pig behavior analysis was performed for following criteria : Feed intake, Standing, Lying, Sitting, Drink water, Rooting, Posture transition (lying-standing), Posture transition (standing-lying), Wallowing, and Biting. In experiment 1, feed intake time was lower (p < 0.05) for the T3 than other treatment groups. Standing time was highest (p < 0.05) for the T1 and lowest (p < 0.05) for the T3. Lying time was shorter (p < 0.05) in T1 and T2 compared to T3 and T4. Drinking frequency was higher (p < 0.05) for the T4 than other treatment groups. In experiment 2, the frequency of rooting and wallowing increased (p < 0.05) with increasing humidity. LH showed the lowest (p < 0.05) rooting frequency and HH showed the highest (p < 0.05) rooting frequency. In experiment 3, VOCs concentration did not (p > 0.05) change pig behavior. In experiment 4, lying time was the longest (p < 0.05) at LI and shortest (p < 0.05) at HI. Therefore, pig behavior is heavily influenced by the environment, especially temperature and humidity. However, correlation between pig behavior to VOCs and illuminance seems to be needed more research.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.659-667
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• 2020

Muscle stem cells isolated from domestic animals, including cows and pigs, were recently spotlighted as candidates for the production of alternative protein resources, so-called cultured meat or lab-grown meat. In the present study, we aimed to optimize the in vitro culture conditions for the long-term expansion of pig muscle stem cells via the screening of various signaling molecules. Pig muscle stem cells were collected from the biceps femoris muscles of 3-d-old crossbred pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc, LYD) and cultured in minimum essential medium-based growth media. However, the pig muscle stem cells gradually lost their proliferation ability and featured morphologies during the long-term culture over two weeks. To find suitable in vitro culture conditions for an extended period, skeletal muscle growth medium-2, including epidermal growth factor (EGF), dexamethasone, and a p38 inhibitor (SB203580), was used to support the stemness of the pig muscle stem cells. Interestingly, pig muscle stem cells were stably maintained in a long-term culture without loss of the expression of myogenic marker genes as determined by PCR analysis. Immunostaining analysis showed that the stem cells were capable of myogenic differentiation after multiple passaging. Therefore, we found that basal culture conditions containing EGF, dexamethasone, and a p38 inhibitor were suitable for maintaining pig muscle stem cells during expanded culture in vitro. This culture method may be applied for the production of cultured meat and further basic research on muscle development in the pig.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1239-1244
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• 2017

Objective: This study was conducted to estimate breed-specific variance components for total number born (TNB), number born alive (NBA) and mortality rate from birth through weaning including stillbirths (MORT) of three main swine breeds in Korea. In addition, the importance of including maternal genetic and service sire effects in estimation models was evaluated. Methods: Records of farrowing traits from 6,412 Duroc, 18,020 Landrace, and 54,254 Yorkshire sows collected from January 2001 to September 2016 from different farms in Korea were used in the analysis. Animal models and the restricted maximum likelihood method were used to estimate variances in animal genetic, permanent environmental, maternal genetic, service sire and residuals. Results: The heritability estimates ranged from 0.072 to 0.102, 0.090 to 0.099, and 0.109 to 0.121 for TNB; 0.087 to 0.110, 0.088 to 0.100, and 0.099 to 0.107 for NBA; and 0.027 to 0.031, 0.050 to 0.053, and 0.073 to 0.081 for MORT in the Duroc, Landrace and Yorkshire breeds, respectively. The proportion of the total variation due to permanent environmental effects, maternal genetic effects, and service sire effects ranged from 0.042 to 0.088, 0.001 to 0.031, and 0.001 to 0.021, respectively. Spearman rank correlations among models ranged from 0.98 to 0.99, demonstrating that the maternal genetic and service sire effects have small effects on the precision of the breeding value. Conclusion: Models that include additive genetic and permanent environmental effects are suitable for farrowing traits in Duroc, Landrace, and Yorkshire populations in Korea. This breed-specific variance components estimates for litter traits can be utilized for pig improvement programs in Korea.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2013

This study was conducted to determine the meat quality characteristics of pork belly from 3 different two-way crossbreeds of Yorkshire${\times}$Landrace (YL), Yorkshire${\times}$Berkshire (YB), and Yorkshire${\times}$Chester White (YC), which were domesticated for Korean consumers. Twenty pigs from each crossbreed (total n=60) were randomly selected when they reached the 110-120 kg range of market weight, slaughtered, and cooled at $0^{\circ}C$ for 24 h. The pork bellies on the left side of the cooled carcasses were then sampled and analyzed. The pH of pork bellies was the lowest in YC among the crossbreds. There was no significant difference in fat content by crossbred, but YB bellies had the lowest moisture content (p<0.05). The cooking loss of YB bellies was lower than those of others (p<0.05). The TBARS values in YB was significantly higher than those of the others at 14 d. YL bellies had a higher percentage of stearic acid, oleic acid, and MUFA than the other breeds, while YB and YC had a higher percentage of myristic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and n-6 fatty acids than the YB (p<0.05). PUFA content and P/S were significantly higher in YC compared with YL. Except for arginine, the concentrations of most free amino acids were higher in YB bellies than in others, (p<0.05). Sensory evaluation scores of bellies were higher for YC than for other breeds (p<0.05).

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.922-930
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• 2021

Objective: Tibetan pigs, predominantly originating from the Tibetan Plateau, have been subjected to long-term natural selection in an extreme environment. To characterize the metabolic adaptations to hypoxic conditions, transcriptomic and proteomic expression patterns in the livers of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs were compared. Methods: RNA and protein were extracted from liver tissue of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs (n = 3, each). Differentially expressed genes and proteins were subjected to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes functional enrichment analyses. Results: In the RNA-Seq and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation analyses, a total of 18,791 genes and 3,390 proteins were detected and compared. Of these, 273 and 257 differentially expressed genes and proteins were identified. Evidence from functional enrichment analysis showed that many genes were involved in metabolic processes. The combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that small molecular biosynthesis, metabolic processes, and organic hydroxyl compound metabolic processes were the major processes operating differently in the two breeds. The important genes include retinol dehydrogenase 16, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, prenylcysteine oxidase 1, sorbin and SH3 domain containing 2, ENSSSCG00000036224, perilipin 2, ladinin 1, kynurenine aminotransferase 1, and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel insight into the high-altitude metabolic adaptation of Tibetan pigs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.356-365
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• 2011

We assessed the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the porcine fatty acid synthase (FASN) gene regarding meat quality and fatty acid composition in two pig populations: Korean native pigs (KNP) were crossed with Yorkshire (YS) $F_2$, and KNP were crossed with Landrace (LR) $F_2$. Direct DNA sequencing using eight KNP and eight YS pigs revealed two SNPs: c.265C>T (silent) in exon 4 and c.6545A>C (Asn${\rightarrow}$His) in exon 39. The frequency of the two SNPs was analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method in seven pig breeds and their association with meat quality traits and fatty acid composition was studied. In the $KNP{\times}YSF_2$ population, both SNPs were significantly associated with the level of monounsaturated fatty acids, including palmitoleic (C16:1) and oleic acid (C18:1) (p<0.005). c.6545A>C was associated with intramuscular fat content in both populations. Our results indicate that variations in c.265C>T and c.6545A>C of the pig FASN can be used to select animals with better fatty acid composition and meat quality. Moreover, KNP was a useful breed for identifying genetic factors affecting meat quality and fatty acid composition and for producing high quality pork.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.89-94
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• 2013

This study was performed to investigate the effect of beet plup and IRG (Italian ryegrass) dry powder in fattening pig diet on reducing concentration of odorous compounds in the pig slurry. Fifty fattening boars [(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire) ${\times}$ Duroc] were randomly assigned to one of 3 treatments (control, beet plup 5%, and IRG 5%). Pigs (BW 50~110 kg) were fed diets formulated to meet the Korean Feeding Standard (2012) and their excretion was collected from the slurry pits. Short chain fatty acid (SCFA) and branched chain fatty acid (BCFA) were higher in beet plup (31,786, 3,985 ppm) and IRG (32,755, 4,261 ppm) treatments, which was not different among treatments (p>0.05), compared to control (p<0.05). Concentrations of phenols and indoles were highest in beet plup (183.83, 168.59 ppm) and IRG (9.32, 8.92 ppm) treatments. Altogether, addition level of two contents was not appropriate to decrease concentration of odorous compounds.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.553-562
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• 2023

With an increase in meat consumption, the need to measure the weight of each primal cut of pork has increased. Recently, automation devices have been used to measure the weight of each primal cut of pork. The objective of this study was to investigate the accuracy of VCS2000, one of the non-invasive pig carcass analyzers. Production levels of 7 primal cuts of 50 pigs were measured with VCS2000. Average error rates between dissected value for each primal cut and VCS2000 measurement values of ham, shoulder picnic, belly, loin, and shoulder blade were around 5%. Average error rates for spare rib and tenderloin were about 10%. Correlation coefficients between the dissected value and the VCS2000 measured value for ham, shoulder picnic, loin, belly, and shoulder blade were high at 0.66-0.83. Correlation coefficients of spare rib and tenderloin were low at 0.35 and 0.47. Coefficient of determination of the VCS2000 measured value for each primal cut by regression analysis was 0.77 or more for ham, shoulder picnic, loin, and shoulder blade and 0.63 for belly. Coefficients of determination for spare rib and tenderloin were low at 0.40 and 0.27. In addition, the coefficient of determination of VCS2000 for each primal cut was higher than that of the dissected value for all primal cuts. In conclusion, pig carcass analysis using the VCS2000 has a high reliability for pork cuts with high production levels, but a relatively low reliability for pork cuts with low production levels and high fat levels.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1655-1661
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• 2007

Prolyl 4-hydroxylase (P4H) plays a central role in collagen synthesis by catalyzing the hydroxylation of the proline residue in the X-Pro-Gly amino acid sequence, and controls the biosynthesis of collagen that influences overall meat quality. In order to verify expression level of the catalytic ${\alpha}$ subunit of P4H, a 2.7 kb clone of the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene for P4H was selected from a cDNA library prepared from the muscular tissue of Sancheong berkshire pigs, and the whole gene sequence was determined. As expression level of the ${\alpha}$ subunit of P4H differed between tissues of pigs, we intended to assess more precisely the level of ${\alpha}$-subunit expression between tissues of Sancheong Berkshire pigs by using RT-PCR. Muscular and adipose tissues were taken from each pig grouped by growth stage (weighing 60, 80, and 110 kg) of Yorkshire and Sancheong Berkshire pigs, and the expression levels of the ${\alpha}$-subunit of P4H were examined. Since there were significant differences in the expression level with respect to variation in growth stage (p<0.01), an attempt was made to identify any influences of pig species and tissue variation. The muscular and adipose tissues of pigs weighing 110 kg showed higher expression levels than pigs weighing 60 kg and 80 kg. In general, significantly higher expression levels were found in muscular than in adipose tissue. The expression levels in Sancheong Berkshire were significantly higher than in Yorkshire pigs (p<0.01 or p<0.05). Since expression level of the ${\alpha}$-subunit of P4H affects the activity of P4H and is connected to the biosynthesis of collagen and increased collagen can improve meat texture, this finding may explain why meat quality of the Sancheong Berkshire pig is acclaimed in Korea. Given the higher expression levels of the ${\alpha}$-subunit gene in adipose than in muscular tissue, and also in the heavier pigs, more intensive studies are required to assess the correlation between expression level of the ${\alpha}$ subunit gene and overall meat quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.167-176
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• 2008

Galectins are a group of animal lectins consisting of galectin-type carbohydrate recognition domains (CRD) with relatively minor domains. The biological properties of galectins include the regulation of inflammation, intercellular adhesion, cell differentiation and cell death. The diverse kinds of galectin suggest variety in their biological roles. Galectin-1 is released during adipocyte differentiation and is associated with fat which is one of the important factors for meat quality. To verify expression level, a 0.5 kb clone of galectin-1 was obtained from cDNA prepared from back fat tissue of a Sancheong Berkshire pig with good quality meat, and the galectin-1 gene identified. The deduced amino acid sequence of the galectin-1 gene was compared with those obtained from other species. By using RT-PCR and Real time-PCR, an attempt was made to determine the expression level of galectin-1 and to compare with various tissues (tenderloin and back fat) taken from pigs in different groups. Grouping of pigs was based on growth-stage (weighing 60, 80, and 110 kg) and the sub-speciation (Yorkshire and Sancheong Berkshire pigs). We attempted to determine influences of pig species, growth stages and tissue variations on the expression level of the galectin-l gene and it was revealed that the expression pattern of the galectin-1 gene was significantly different (p<0.01 or p<0.05). Galectin-1 genes were expressed more highly in the back fat tissues of pigs weighing 110 kg than in those weighing 60 kg or 80 kg. However, the lowest expression was seen in the tenderloin tissues of pigs weighing 110 kg. Sancheong Berkshire pigs showed higher expression of the galectin-1 gene compared to Yorkshire pigs. Accordingly, it is considered that the expression pattern of the galectin-1 gene influences the growth of back fat tissues and the pig speciation relationship. Previous studies suggested that different expression of galectin-1 genes represents variety among the breeds and is closely related to fat tissue growth, conjugation and catabolism. Further, this study suggests that the expression of galectin-1 at a specific growth stage and tissue contributes significantly to the overall meat quality of Sancheong Berkshire pigs.