José M. Martins

Component digestibility of lupin (#Lupinus angustifolius#) and pea (#Pisum sativum#) seeds and effects on the small intestine and body organs in anastomosed and intact growing pigs

Thirty-six male growing pigs were used to compare the component digestibility of legume seeds and the impact of diets and ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA) on the morphology and enzyme activities of intestinal mucosa. The pigs were fed a control (C) diet based on casein or a diet in which 60% of crude protein (CP) was supplied by blue lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) (L) or pea (Pisum sativum) (P) seeds. Coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD) of organic matter (OM), CP and gross energy (GE) was lower in the L diet compared to the control diet. The pea-based diet presented intermediate CTTAD values of OM and GE. Coefficient of ileal apparent digestibility (CIAD) of OM and GE was lower in the legume-containing diets than with C. No significant differences were found for the CIAD of CP. There was a significant interaction between diet and IRA for villus height in the jejunum and crypt width in the ileum. Duodenal and jejunal crypt width was lower in the pigs fed the legume-containing diets compared to controls. The diet influenced the specific activity of most intestinal enzymes at various sites along the small intestine. Anastomosed pigs had higher spleen and small intestine weights and lower large intestine weights as compared to intact pigs. IRA influenced intestinal villus and crypt architecture but it had no significant effect on the activities of intestinal enzymes.

Effect of long‐term betaine supplementation on chemical and physical characteristics of three muscles from the Alentejano pig

BACKGROUND The use of betaine as a dietary supplement to reduce fat deposition and increase lean muscle mass in pigs is increasing. However, there is no available information on its effect on the physical and chemical (i.e. fatty acid (FA) profile) characteristics of pork. RESULTS The effects of long-term betaine intake (1 g betaine kg(-1) diet for 20 weeks) on the chemical and physical characteristics of Musculus longissimus dorsi, M. biceps femoris and M. semimembranosus from the Alentejano pig were investigated. The contents of total protein, intramuscular lipids (neutral and polar), myoglobin and total collagen as well as the water-holding capacity, physical colour characteristics and FA profile of the three muscles were determined. With the exception of a significant increase in the intramuscular lipid content of M. longissimus dorsi and M. biceps femoris, betaine supplementation did not influence muscle chemical and colour characteristics or body fat deposition. CONCLUSION These data suggest that long-term betaine supplementation selectively increases intramuscular lipid deposition (a trait related to meat quality) while not affecting other chemical (including the atheroprotective FA profile) and physical characteristics of the Alentejano pig muscles studied.

Thermal studies on protein isolates of white lupin seeds (Lupinus albus)

This study used TG, DSC, and SDS-PAGE techniques to study protein isolates (PIs) in the powder form obtained from lupin seeds flour Lupinus albus. Different methods of preparing PIs were tested, resulting in final products that were different only in relation to the yield and protein content. The results of the protein analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that the same protein fractions were present in the lupin seeds and in the obtained PIs. This result shows that the process of extraction was not damaging to the composition of the original protein. On the other hand, the results of the thermal analysis (DSC and TG–DTG curves) obtained for the different PIs, led to the detection of changes in the protein conformation through the ΔH values, which in general decreased with increasing values of pH and ionic strength in the experimental conditions of extraction.

Long term betaine supplementation regulates genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism of two muscles from an obese pig breed

This study evaluates the effects of betaine supplementation (1gkg-1 for 20weeks) on the regulation of genes involved in lipid and cholesterol metabolism of Longissimus lumborum and Biceps femoris from obese Alentejano pigs. Betaine supplementation led to an increase in total cholesterol in both muscles, complementing results previously published indicating a significant increase on the intramuscular lipid content. The expression of twelve genes involved in lipogenesis, lipolysis/FA oxidation, FA transport, and cholesterol metabolism, as well as two transcription factors were also evaluated. Genes related to lipid and cholesterol synthesis plus FA transport were consistently up-regulated in both muscles of betaine fed pigs. On the other hand, genes related to lipolysis/FA oxidation were not affected or down-regulated by betaine supplementation. Our data suggest that the underlying mechanism regulating IMF and cholesterol accumulation in Alentejano pigs supplemented with betaine is associated with the up-regulation of genes involved in lipid synthesis, FA transport, and cholesterol synthesis.

The Ribatejano Pig: A Cross Based On A Fatty Pig

The Ribatejano (RI) pig productive performance, resulting from a cross between Alentejano (AL) and Bisaro (BI) breeds, was assessed within the framework of the TREASURE* project. Nine castrated male pigs from each genotype (AL, BI, ALxBI and BIxAL) were studied. Animals were raised in traditional free-range system, individually fed with commercial diets ad libitum, and slaughtered at ~150 kg live weight (LW). No significant (P>0.05) differences were observed between genotypes on the average daily gain. Overall, carcass length, and head and bone cuts percentages (P leaner (BI) genotypes. These trends were already observed in a previous work where these genotypes were slaughtered at ~65 kg LW (Martins et al. 2017). Therefore, this cross can be an alternative to the use of other breeds for crossing, and increase the income of local pig producers in a sustainable way, mitigate the exodus of rural population, and also preserve the pure breed pig populations, contributing to animal biodiversity.

Effects of ileo-rectal anastomosis on cholesterol metabolism in pigs fed either casein or extruded soya beans

The importance of legume proteins in cholesterol metabolism has been recognised, but the hindgut contribution is still unclear. The present work was undertaken to address the role of the caecum-colon in cholesterol metabolism in intact (I) and ileo-rectal anastomosed (IRA) pigs fed with casein or extruded soyabean (ES) diets. Four groups of six growing pigs were assigned to the treatments (casein-I, casein-IRA, ES-I, ES-IRA) for 3 weeks. Plasma total cholesterol, LDL- and HDL-cholesterol were not modified by surgery or diet. In the liver, the ES diet significantly depressed non-esterified, esterified and total cholesterol. The treatments did not affect hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase or sterol 27-hydroxylase activities. In the gallbladder bile of ES-fed pigs, total cholesterol was depressed while total bile acid concentration was increased. IRA and the ES diet markedly decreased the biliary bile acid microbial metabolites (namely hyodeoxycholic acid) and increased the primary bile acids (mainly hyocholic acid). The concentration of bile hydrophobic acids was decreased only by the ES diet. Faecal neutral sterol output was increased in ES-fed pigs, but the bile acid and the sum of neutral and acidic steroid outputs were not. Microbial transformation of neutral and acidic steroids was markedly reduced by IRA, especially in the ES-fed pigs. Thus, surgery and ES modulated the steroid profile but the caecum-colon did not seem to play a crucial role in determining cholesterolaemia in pigs.