Open Access
Comparative description of growth, fat deposition, carcass and meat quality characteristics of Basque and Large White pigs
(EDP Sciences, 2005) Alfonso Ruiz, Leopoldo; Mourot, Jacques; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Arana Navarro, Ana; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Characteristics of growth, fat deposition, carcass and meat quality of pigs from the Basque Black Pied breed were described and compared with those of Large White pigs. Four pens, two per breed, of eleven pigs born during the same two week period, were simultaneously fattened and slaughtered, under the same conditions. The experiment was carried out over a fixed duration (124 days) and slaughter was carried out at a fixed average age (202 days). Basque pigs showed lower growth and feed efficiency and higher backfat depth (2.6 vs. 1.7 cm, P < 0.001) than Large White pigs. The difference was especially noticeable in the middle subcutaneous fat layer (0.5 cm, P < 0.001). The meat of Basque pigs was darker, redder, more marbled, and with higher pH values than in Large White pigs. Differences in fatty acid composition were observed between breeds but they were not statistically significant (P > 0.05) because of high variability observed between animals. The Basque breed exhibited an early and higher adipose development and a higher activity of enzymes responsible for lipid synthesis than the Large White. The diameter of intramuscular adipose cells was larger in Basque (40.2 vs. 33.0 μm, P < 0.001) than in Large White pigs. The results show the particular characteristics of the Basque breed as compared to pig lines highly selected for lean growth efficiency.
Open Access
Evolución de la morfología en la raza vacuna pirenaica
(Universidad de Córdoba, 1998) Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Purroy Unanua, Antonio; Aranguren, F.J.; Eguinoa Ancho, Paola; Arana Navarro, Ana; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Se ha estudiado la evolución de la morfología de la raza vacuna Pirenaica durante el presente siglo. Para ello, se han considerado 3 grupos de vacas Pirenaicas. Un primer grupo (n=20) representativo de la antigua vaca Pirenaica, cuyas medidas morfológicas fueron realizadas en 1924- 25. Un segundo grupo (n=252) de vacas del valle navarro de Aezcoa, que constituían en 1960- 1970 el principal núcleo de raza Pirenaica, tras el desplazamiento que sufrió por parte de las razas Parda Alpina y Frisona. Por último, un tercer grupo (n=24) representativo de la raza Pirenaica actual, mejorada para la producción de carne. Las medidas estudiadas comprenden las diferentes alzadas (cruz, dorso, grupa y cola), anchuras (encuentros, espalda, interilíaca, coxofemoral), perímetros (torácico, caña), profundidad de pecho y longitud corporal. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la raza Pirenaica ha pasado de ser una raza con triple aptitud (trabajo, carne, leche) en su origen, a poseer una orientación claramente cárnica en la actualidad, para lo cual se ha producido, en una primera etapa, un considerable aumento de todas las medidas corporales estudiadas y, posteriormente, un aumento de la profundidad de pecho, de la anchura entre espaldas y de la anchura coxofemoral.
Open Access
Adiposity and adipogenic gene expression in four different muscles in beef cattle
(Public Library of Science, 2017) Martínez del Pino, Lara; Arana Navarro, Ana; Alfonso Ruiz, Leopoldo; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Anatomical site and divergent functionalities of muscles can be related to differences in IMF content, metabolism and adipogenic gene expression. Then, potential differences in different muscles in beef cattle were studied. As a second objective, the main sources of experimental variability associated to RT-qPCR results were analyzed following a nested design in order to implement appropriate experimental designs minimizing gene expression variability. To perform the study Longissimus thoracis (LT), Semitendinosus (SM), Masseter (MS), Sternomandibularis (ST) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) samples of Pirenaica young bulls (n = 4) were collected for IMF, collagen and protein quantification, analysis of adipocyte size distribution and gene expression (PPARG, CEBPA, FAPB4 and WNT10B). A greater IMF content was observed in MS and SM muscles, which had a bimodal adipocyte size distribution while it was unimodal in the muscles LT and ST. This suggest that the different IMF accretion in the muscles studied might be related to different rates of hyperplasia and hypertrophy and that IMF might develop later in LT and ST muscles. The former differences were not mirrored by the expression of the genes analyzed, which might be related to the different contribution of mature and non-mature adipocytes to the total gene expression. When comparing IMF and SAT gene expression, late and early developing tissues respectively, expression of PPARG, CEBPA and FABP4 was higher in the SAT, in agreement with bigger cell size and numbers. The variability study indicates that the analytical factors that add higher variability to the gene expression are the sampling and RT and therefore, it would be appropriate to include those replicates in the design of future experiments. Based on the results, the use of MS and SM muscles could allow less expensive experimental designs and bigger sample size that could permit the detection of lower relevant differences in gene expression.
Open Access
Efecto de la alimentación con dietas ricas en acidos grasos poliinsaturados sobre el desarrollo del tejido graso de terneros
(Asociación Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario, 2007) Sayed, S.; Abadía Durán, Silvia; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Arana Navarro, Ana; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Albertí, P.; Purroy Unanua, Antonio; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
La carne de vacuno obtenida de terneros cebados con pienso presenta un menor valor de la relación de ácidos grasos poliinsaturados/saturados, beneficioso para la salud humana, que la obtenida de los temeros criados en pasto (Wood et al., 1999). Para contrarrestar este factor se está estudiando la utilización de materias primas con alto contenido en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados (por ejemplo semilla de lino) en las dietas utilizadas en el cebo de terneros. Por otra parte, cuando se utilizan materias primas que pueden dar lugar a grasas insaturadas, de fácil enranciamiento y que pueden acortar la vida útil de la carne, se recomienda la adición en la dieta de los animales de antioxidantes como, por ejemplo, la vitamina E (Robbins et al., 2003). El presente trabajo, englobado en un proyecto más amplio donde se estudia el efecto que la adición de lino y de vitamina E en el pienso de terneros tiene sobre el crecimiento, engrasamiento y características de la carne, se centra en profundizar sobre los posibles efectos que pudieran tener la utilización de estas dietas sobre el desarrollo y la celularidad del tejido graso.
Open Access
Predicting beef carcass fatness using an image analysis system
(MDPI, 2021) Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Ripoll, Guillermo; Urrutia Vera, Olaia; Insausti Barrenetxea, Kizkitza; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Arana Navarro, Ana; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD
The amount and distribution of subcutaneous fat is an important factor affecting beef carcass quality. The degree of fatness is determined by visual assessments scored on a scale of five fatness levels (the SEUROP system). New technologies such as the image analysis method have been developed and applied in an effort to enhance the accuracy and objectivity of this classification system. In this study, 50 young bulls were slaughtered (570 ± 52.5 kg) and after slaughter the carcasses were weighed (360 ± 33.1 kg) and a SEUROP system fatness score assigned. A digital picture of the outer surface of the left side of the carcass was taken and the area of fat cover (fat area) was measured using an image analysis system. Commercial cutting of the carcasses was performed 24 h post-mortem. The fat trimmed away on cutting (cutting fat) was weighed. A regression analysis was carried out for the carcass cutting fat (y-axis) on the carcass fat area (x-axis) to establish the accuracy of the image analysis system. A greater accuracy was obtained by the image analysis (R2 = 0.72; p < 0.001) than from the visual fatness scores (R2 = 0.66; p > 0.001). These results show the image analysis to be more accurate than the visual assessment system for predicting beef carcass fatness.
Open Access
Caracterización de las 'Costillas de Palo' de cordero de raza Navarra. I. Composición tisular
(Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU. Fundación Universitaria San Pablo-CEU, 2002) Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Alzón, M.; Arana Navarro, Ana; Eguinoa Ancho, Paola; Delfa, R.; Beriain Apesteguía, María José; Purroy Unanua, Antonio; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Se ha estudiado la composición tisular de 46 costillas de palo (10ª y 11ª) procedentes de 23 corderos de raza Navarra sacrificados con 24,2±1,55Kg. de peso vivo y 98±6,3d de edad. El peso medio de la costilla fue de 78,4±10,82g, de los que el porcentaje de músculo supuso el 48,5±4,16%, el de grasa 29,3±4,78% y el de hueso 15,0±3,19%, respectivamente. El músculo Longissimus dorsi, que presentó un área media de 9,6±1,34cm2, supuso el 52,4±6,30% del músculo total de la costilla. El componente óseo se distribuyó en un 41,8% en la costilla y el 58,2% en la vertebra. La grasa subcutánea supuso el 50,1% de la grasa total diseccionada, correspondiendo el 49,9% restante a la intermuscular. Por último, se midió la grasa intramuscular o de veteado que presentaba el músculo Longissimus dorsi, ocupando dicha grasa un 2,5±0,98% de la superficie de dicho músculo. El número medio de vetas de grasa en cada costilla fue de 5,6±1,92 y el tamaño medio de éstas de 4,5±1,74mm2.
Open Access
Size and number variation of adipocytes during the growth of Rasa Aragonesa lambs
(CIHEAM, 1995) Purroy Unanua, Antonio; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Horcada, Alberto; Lizaso, G.; Mendizábal Múgica, Francisco Javier; Arana Navarro, Ana; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
The size and number of adipocytes of different fat depots was studied in 45 male lambs of the Rasa Aragonesa breed, distributed in three groups of 15 lambs (G12, G24, G36), slaughtered respectively at 11.7 ± 0.67,24.5 ± 0.57 and 35.8 ± 1.74 kg live weight (LW) and at an age of 32 ± 5, 89 ± 8 and 123 ± 8 days. G12 lambs were slaughtered on the day of weaning, G24 and G36 lambs were weaned respectively at 16.2 ± 1.32 and 18.3 ± 2.46 kg LW and were fed from then onwards on concentrated fodder and barley straw ad libitum until they were slaughtered. The results obtained show that there is a significant increase in the amount of fat deposited in three internal (omental, mesenteric and kidney knob and channel) fat depots as the LW at slaughter increases (P<0.01). A similar phenomenon occurs in the size of the adipocytes, hypertrophy being more evident between 24 and 36 kg (P<0.01) than between 12 and 24 kg, except in the intermuscular fat depot, where the differences were between the two most extreme weight(P <0.01). The number of adipocytes in the omental and mesenteric fat depots increased significantly during the period of the study (P<0.01) while no variation occurred in the kidney knob and channel fat depot during the same period.
Open Access
Conformación y engrasamiento de terneros de raza Retinta y cruzados RetintaxPirenaica y RetintaxLimusín
(Asociación Interprofesional para el Desarrollo Agrario, 2005) Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Alzón, M.; Arana Navarro, Ana; Albertí, P.; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Purroy Unanua, Antonio; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
En el presente trabajo se comparan terneros de raza Retinta en pureza y cruzados con dos razas de aptitud cárnica más mejoradas, la Limusín y la Pirenaica, con la finalidad de profundizar en el conocimiento de los parámetros de conformación y engrasamiento que muestran estos genotipos cruzados.
Open Access
Expression of key myogenic, fibrogenic and adipogenic genes in Longissimus thoracis and masseter muscles in cattle
(Cambridge University Press, 2020) Martínez del Pino, Lara; Urrutia Vera, Olaia; Arana Navarro, Ana; Alfonso Ruiz, Leopoldo; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación
Adipogenesis, myogenesis and fibrogenesis are related processes that can contribute to meat quality. Therefore, extending the knowledge of these processes would facilitate the identification of molecular markers that predict intramuscular fat accretion. The main purpose of this work, based on previous results, was to further study the expression of key genes related to adipogenic, myogenic, fibrogenic processes and some cytokines in Longissimus thoracis (LT) and Masseter (MS) muscles of Pirenaica and Holstein young bulls. Longissimus thoracis and MS muscles from Pirenaica (n = 4) and Spanish Holstein (n = 4) were sampled for proximate analysis, determination of adipocyte size distribution and expression of key candidate genes. Fat percentage was lower in LT than in MS muscle in Pirenaica young bulls (P = 0.023) and was higher in LT muscle in Holstein than in Pirenaica young bulls (P = 0.007). Gene expression analysis revealed that the mRNA level of myogenic differentiation 1 (MYOD) was higher in LT than in MS muscles in both groups of animals (P < 0.001) and that myostatin (MSTN) expression was also higher in LT than in MS muscle in Holstein bulls (P = 0.001). On the other hand, MSTN and PPARG showed higher expression in LT and MS in Pirenaica young bulls (P = 0.026), while the expression of fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) was higher in Holstein young bulls, also in both muscles (P < 0.001). The results suggested that the development of intramuscular adipose depot was directly related to the expression of adipogenic genes, such as FABP4, but inversely related to the expression of the cytokine MSTN and the myogenic gene MYOD, genes which showed a muscle-specific expression.
Open Access
The effects of selective breeding against scrapie susceptibility on the genetic variability of the latxa black-faced sheep breed
(EDP Sciences, 2006) Alfonso Ruiz, Leopoldo; Parada Rey, Analia; Legarra, Andrés; Ugarte, Eva; Arana Navarro, Ana; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Breeding sheep populations for scrapie resistance could result in a loss of genetic variability. In this study, the effect on genetic variability of selection for increasing the ARR allele frequency was estimated in the Latxa breed. Two sources of information were used, pedigree and genetic polymorphisms (fifteen microsatellites). The results based on the genealogical information were conditioned by a low pedigree completeness level that revealed the interest of also using the information provided by the molecular markers. The overall results suggest that no great negative effect on genetic variability can be expected in the short time in the population analysed by selection of only ARR/ARR males. The estimated average relationship of ARR/ARR males with reproductive females was similar to that of all available males whatever its genotype: 0.010 vs. 0.012 for a genealogical relationship and 0.257 vs. 0.296 for molecular coancestry, respectively. However, selection of only ARR/ARR males implied important losses in founder animals (87 percent) and low frequency alleles (30 percent) in the ram population. The evaluation of mild selection strategies against scrapie susceptibility based on the use of some ARR heterozygous males was difficult because the genetic relationships estimated among animals differed when pedigree or molecular information was used, and the use of more molecular markers should be evaluated.