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The effects of halothane sensitivity on carcass composition and meat quality in HAL-1843-normal pigs^1,2

C. P. Allison^*, R. C. Johnson and M. E. Doumit^*,,3

^* Departments of Animal Science and and Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48824; and and Farmland Foods, Denison, IA 51442

³ Correspondence: 3385 Anthony Hall (phone: 517-355-8452, ext. 203; fax: 517-432-0753; e-mail: doumitm{at}msu.edu).

Objectives of this study were to determine the incidence of halothane sensitivity in pigs that are homozygous normal at the ryanodine receptor nucleotide 1843 (HAL-1843-normal) and the relationships between halothane sensitivity and carcass composition or meat quality. In Exp. 1, piglets (Lines A, B, C, and D; n = 168, 170, 168, and 169, respectively) were obtained from mating a HAL-1843-normal sire line to four HAL-1843-normal dam lines. In Exp. 2, piglets from Lines A and B (n = 87 and 90, respectively) were included with piglets (Lines E, F, G, and H; n = 94, 92, 89, and 89, respectively) obtained from mating four HAL-1843-normal sire lines to a single HAL-1843-normal dam line. Pigs were subjected to 3% halothane at approximately 9 wk of age. In Exp. 1, limb rigidity, blotching of the skin, and muscle tremors were visually assessed, and based on these criteria, halothane sensitivity (HS) was observed in 48% of the pigs. To better characterize this response, a scoring system was developed and used in Exp. 2. Using this system, 25, 42, and 33% of the pigs in E and 40, 33, and 27% of the pigs in Line G were categorized as HS-low (HS-L), HS-intermediate (HS-I), and HS-high (HS-H), respectively. In Lines F and H, 13 and 18% of the pigs were HS-I, and 0 and 2% were HS-H, respectively. No consistent effects due to HS were observed in carcass composition or meat quality; however, when a subset of pigs from Exp. 2 were subjected to more extensive handling and transportation before slaughter, ultimate pH was lower and drip loss was higher in LM from HS-H compared with HS-L pigs (P < 0.05; n = 71). These results demonstrate that some pigs are sensitive to halothane anesthesia even in the absence of the known HAL-1843 polymorphism. Additionally, halothane sensitivity may be associated with inferior pork quality under adverse antemortem conditions.

Key Words: Halothane • Pork Quality • Stress Susceptibility • Swine

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				C. P. Allison, A. L. Marr, N. L. Berry, D. B. Anderson, D. J. Ivers, L. F. Richardson, K. Keffaber, R. C. Johnson, and M. E. Doumit Effects of halothane sensitivity on mobility status and blood metabolites of HAL-1843-normal pigs after rigorous handling J Anim Sci, April 1, 2006; 84(4): 1015 - 1021. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]