Influence of swine genotype on fatty acid composition of phospholipids in longissimus muscle

Our objective for this study was to determine whether there is a difference in the fatty acid composition of phospholipids in longissimus muscle from pigs of different genotypes. In Exp. 1, 15 Hampshire x Yorkshire Landrace ( YL), 15 Duroc x YL, and 15 Danbred x YL were used. Animals were of similar age and were fed identical diets. In Exp. 2, longissimus muscle samples fro m pigs of seven genetically different lines were analyzed. In both experime nts, saturated fatty acids (SFA, 16:0 and 18:0) constituted approximately 3 1.5% of the total fatty acids. Monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA, 18:1 and 2 0:1) levels ranged from 12.3 to 16.9%, and PUFA (mainly 18:2 and 20:4) acco unted for 50.8 to 57.0% of the total fatty acids. Fatty acid composition of muscle phospholipids from Duroc and Hampshire x YL pigs was identical. Mus cle phospholipids from Danbred x YL pigs contained more PUFA (approximately 3%, P < .05) and less SFA (approximately 2%, P < .05) than phospholipids f rom the two other genotypes. Differences in SFA and PUFA of muscle from the seven Lines were of the same order of magnitude. Differences in MUFA conte nt were not significant.