Journal of Animal Science, Vol 69, Issue 9 3511-3522, Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Effects of exogenous porcine somatotropin (pST) administration on growth performance, carcass traits, and pork meat quality of Meishan, Pietrain, and crossbred gilts

J. P. Bidanel, M. Bonneau, A. Pointillart, J. Gruand, J. Mourot and I. Demade
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) Jouy-en-Josas, France.

Seventeen to twenty-three females of lean (Pietrain, PI), fat (Meishan, MS), or intermediate genotype (PI x [3/4 Large White x 1/4 MS]), referred to as crossbred (CR), were injected between 60 and 100 kg live weight with 6 mg/d of porcine somatotropin (pST) and compared to similar numbers of control females receiving the vehicle only. Average daily gain increased similarly in the three genotypes (125 g/d). Feed conversion ratio tended to decrease to a higher extent in MS (-2.0 kg of feed/kg of gain) than in the other two genotypes (-1.1 and -.9 kg of feed/kg of gain for CR and PI, respectively). A significant genotype x treatment interaction was also observed for backfat thickness (BF) and fat, muscle, and bone development. Effects of pST in PI, CR, and MS pigs were, respectively, -6.2, -9.6, and -16.1 mm for BF and 3.0, 6.8, and 11.8% carcass muscle. The influence of pST on physical measurements of meat quality was rather low, although desirable effects (P less than .05) were obtained on the reflectance and water-holding capacity of PI and CR. Intramuscular fat content was reduced by approximately 1% in MS and CR but not in PI. The metatarsals of pST-treated animals had a higher water content (except in PI), a lower mineralization, and a lower breaking strength (except in MS). The existence of breed variations in the response to pST might result in changes of the relative merit of crossbreeding schemes.