Effect of pantothenic acid level in the diet of the finishing heavy pig on carcass and meat quality traits Domenico Pietro Lo Fiego1, Paolo Macchioni2, Giovanna Minelli1, Maria Cristina Ielo1, Piero Santoro2 Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e degli Alimenti, Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia, Italy
1
Dipartimento di Protezione e Valorizzazione Agroalimentare, Università di Bologna, Italy
2
Corresponding author: Domenico Pietro Lo Fiego. Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e degli Alimenti, Università di Modena-Reggio Emilia. Via G. Amendola 2 Pad C. Besta, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy - Tel. +39 0522 522035 - Fax: +39 0522 522027 - Email:
[email protected]
Abstract - This study investigated the effect of vitamin B5 dietary level on carcass and meat quality characteristics in the heavy pig. To this aim, 42 pigs, 21 gilts and 21 barrows, of similar weight and age, evenly divided into 3 groups of 14 subjects each, were fed, from approx. 95 kg live weight (lw) till slaughtering (around 165 kg lw), the same basal diet containing either 10 (control, C), or 60 (T1), or 110 ppm (T2) pantothenic acid. At increasing dietary levels of vitamin B5, only numerical improvements of lean meat and lean cuts percentages were observed, whereas total adipose cuts, backfat and jowl percentages decreased (P
