Assessment of M. longissimus fibre types and metabolic enzymes in Bama miniature pigs and Landrace swine

Overt differences exist between Chinese local pigs and exotic pig breeds, especially in muscle growth rate and meat quality. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to assess muscle fibre types and metabolic enzymes in Bama miniature pigs and Landrace swine. Meat quality traits, including intramuscular fat content, and muscle colour, conductivity, and tenderness, were assessed in these pig breeds. Then, muscle fibre types were classified, and mRNA amounts and activities of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) assessed, in M. longissimus from the two pig breeds, at various ages. Our data showed significantly higher back fat thickness, muscle conductivity, and intramuscular fat content in samples from Bama miniature pigs compared with the values obtained for Landrace pigs (p p p