BODY-COMPOSITION AND MUSCLE STRUCTURE IN GENETICALLY DIFFERENT PIGS IN DEPENDENCE ON MHS-STATUS

Differences between German Saddle Back DS (MHS-status: NN and NP) and German Landrace DL (MHS-status: NN) pigs in body composition (tissue; protein/fat), fatty acid composition, and muscle structure were invest igated. 58 male castrates of both breeds were fed individually semi ad libitum during the finishing period and slaughtered at the same live weight. Manual carcass dissection resulted in very much higher percent ages of subcutaneous, intermuscular, and internal fatty tissue for DS as compared to DL. Contents of subcutaneous and intramuscular fat were mostly increased in DS. Breed differences in chemical composition wer e higher in fatty cuts than in meaty cuts. Within the DS NN-pigs showe d a slightly higher fat content than NP-pigs. Furthermore, DS differed from DL by higher proportion of saturated fatty acids, by lower total muscle fibre number, and by particularities in muscle fibre type prof ile of M. longissimus.