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
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
Leposoila oilarra
(Gobierno Vasco, 1989) Amenábar Arzuaga, María Eugenia; García Sanz, Alberto; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Eusko-oiloa oilo arrazaren barruan, leposoila moetatakoa bere ingurukoekin parekatzen badugu desberdintzapen morfologiko nabari bat azaltzen du, eta ez dago lumaiaren kolorazioan oinarritua, lepo inguruan lumarik ez izatean baizik. Lumarik ez izatea Na (Nacked-Neck) deritzaion genak erregulatzen du. Artikulu honetan oiloen artean gurutzaketa ezberdinetatik lortu diren datoek azaldu nahi ditugu.
Open Access
Preservation of milk in liquid nitrogen during sample collection does not affect the RNA quality for RNA-seq analysis
(BMC, 2025-05-24) Jiménez Montenegro, Lucía; Alfonso Ruiz, Leopoldo; Soret Lafraya, Beatriz; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Urrutia Vera, Olaia; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa; Gobierno de Navarra / Nafarroako Gobernua
Background. Standard procedures for milk sample collection for transcriptome analysis use ice as preservation method, which can afect the RNA stability and requires immediate sample processing. These problems would be eased if the milk samples could be snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. This study describes the applicability of a new method for milk sample collection and subsequent RNA extraction from milk fat globules, determining whether the quality, integrity and quantity of the RNA extracts met the minimum requirements for downstream RNA-seq. Results. The quality of the extracts measured by A260/280 ratio and the Integrity and Quality (IQ) values obtained fulflled the reference values of 1.9 - 2.1 (P10.05) and failed to meet the RIN≥7 benchmark for RNA-seq (P>0.05). Milk fat globules contain low molecular-weight RNA fragments and minimal 18S and 28S rRNA, suggesting low RIN values were inherent to sample type. Likewise, the RNA concentration from milk fat globules were generally low (120.43±22.27 ng/µL, 102.87±15.64 ng/µL and 109.43±22.69 ng/µL, measured by Nanodrop, Qubit HS and QuanTI Ribogreen, respectively). Nevertheless, RNA-seq yielded 52.7 million paired-end reads per sample. The raw reads passed all quality control parameters having the same sequence-read lengths (151 bp), 100% base-coverage, 49% GC base content, and base quality scores of 36, enabling successful transcriptome profling. Moreover, milk proteins were identifed as the most abundant transcripts in MFG in the analysis of the most expressed genes, indicating that the sequenced reads would accurately refect the transcriptome of this milk fraction. Conclusions. Milk preservation in liquid nitrogen is a suitable sample collection method that overcomes the limitations of immediate sample processing required if ice is used. Thus, this procedure, together with the subsequent RNA isolation from milk fat globules and its sequencing by RNA-seq, would provide a practical and a non-invasive method for measuring the mammary epithelial cell transcriptome, improving the feasibility of conducting studies related to mammary gland and lactation physiology.
Open Access
Prediction of intramuscular fat in live bulls using real-time ultrasound and image analysis
(The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, 2008) Polák, P.; Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Blanco Roa, N. E.; Krupa, E.; Huba, J.; Peškovičová, D.; Oravcová, M.; Producción Agraria; Nekazaritza Ekoizpena
Sonograms of Longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) area were taken before slaughter on the last thoracic vertebra by an Aloka SSD-500. Three sonograms of each bull were taken with 60, 65 and 70% ultrasound intensity. A digital image of the LDM area was obtained on the last thoracic vertebra. Intramuscular fat content was detected by an Infratec 1265 - Meat Analyzer. The grey value of the sonogram measured by computer image analysis significantly correlated with the content of IMF, r=0.78 for Slovak Simmental, and r=0.60 for Holstein bulls. Area proportion of marbling determined on images obtained by computer image analysis (MARB) correlated significantly with IMF, r=0.65. This correlation was only significant for Slovak Simmental bulls. The obtained results suggest that prediction of intramuscular fat in meat is possible using the technique of ultrasound and computer image analyses of live animals. Further investigation is needed to improve measurement precision and to validate applicability among a wide variety of cattle breeds.
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
Las ferias de ganado en Andalucía Occidental y Extremadura, 1830-1958: reseña
(Universidad de Murcia, 2020) Mendizábal Aizpuru, José Antonio; Agronomía, Biotecnología y Alimentación; Agronomia, Bioteknologia eta Elikadura
Este libro viene a cubrir un hueco importante de la historia agraria, como es el relacionado con las ferias de ganado, temática que ha sido estudiada muy vagamente. Por ello, supone una importante aportación para el conocimiento de las ferias de ganado, cuya importancia económica y social ha sido de gran magnitud hasta hace unas pocas décadas.
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.