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Effect of Stunning Methods on Porcine Muscle Glycolysis

Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36830

Abstract

Sixty market weight pigs were randomly assigned to one of six treatment groups: (I) unrestrained and unstunned control; (II) unstunned but restrained; (III) immobilized with 90 volt a.c. current applied for 10 sec; (IV) stunned with 290 volt a.c. current applied for 2 sec; (V) stunned with captive bolt pistol; or (VI) immobilized by inhalation of a gas mixture of 75% CO₂ and 25% air. Animals with a serum creatine phosphate kinase (CPK) level of less than 100 Sigma units/ml were selected for the study. Muscle biopsies collected 12 to 24 hr prior to slaughter and muscle samples taken 1 hr postmortem were analyzed for glucose-6-phosphate (G-6-P), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), creatine phosphate (CP), and lactate. Blood samples were obtained immediately prior to exsanguination for determination of blood pH, pCO₂ and pO₂. Muscle pH was determined at 1 and 18 hr postmortem. Group I had significantly (P<.05) higher muscle pH values and ATP levels at 1 hr postmortem and higher blood pH values than any other group. Group I had the higher blood pH values and Group VI had lower blood pH and higher pCO₂ values than all other groups (P<.05). Groups I and IV had significantly higher CP levels 1 hr postmortem. There were no significant differences among other groups. The group of animals that was restrained, but not stunned had values similar to animals stunned by various methods. On the basis of this experiment it was recommended that the use of captive bolt pistol stunning should be discouraged. From a quality aspect the use of any stunning procedure is inferior to slaughtering without stunning. All other stunning methods affected postmortem metabolism similarly.

¹ Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.

² Departments of Physiology and Pharmacology and Animal Health Research.

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