Meat quality in pigs Pampa Rocha of Uruguay fed diets with and without rice bran in its composition

Abstract

The effect of diets with different lipid content was evaluated on variables of meat quality in pigs of local breed Pampa Rocha (Uruguay). Sixteen piglets with an initial body weight of 14.85 ± 1.93 Kg were used, from weaning (42 days) and up to 77 days of age, having the trial 35 days. The experimental design was completely randomized blocks with two treatments. The experiment was conducted in boxes, in a system of deep bed of wheat straw. The treatments consisted of different lipid content diets: T0 treatment consisted of a diet with 0% rice bran (control) and T15 treatment a diet with 15% of rice bran (higher lipid content). The pH, color, shear force, intramuscular fat and fatty acid profile were measured. Data were analyzed through an ANAVA with block and treatment effects, subsequently performing a comparison using the LSD test and Pearson correlation between the variables of interest, with 95% confidence. There were differences in pH at the 90 minutes (T0 = 5.77 ± 0.13; T15 = 5.11 ± 0.13) and 24 hours (T0 = 5.46 ± 0.14; T15 = 4.92 ± 0.14), luminosity (T0 = 39.79 ± 0.62; T15 = 42.34 ± 0.62), linoleic acid content (T0 = 11.05 ± 0.66; T15 = 13.79 ± 0.66), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content (T0 = 13.26 ± 0.78; T15 = 16.26 ± 0.78), and on the relationship between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acid (T0 = 0.33 ± 0.02; T15 = 0.39 ± 0.02). T15 treatment could adversely affect the pH and luminosity, but the higher content of PUFA observed in such treatment can be favorable nutritionally. The ratio of n-6/n-3 was elevated in both treatments, so it should be deemed the inclusion of food with the highest content in the series n-3 PUFA to reduce this ratio. Based on these findings, it is concluded that the use of rice bran at a level of 15% could be considered as an alternative food. However, other factors that might have influenced the evaluated variables should be taken into account.