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. 2020 May 17;10(5):870.
doi: 10.3390/ani10050870.

Differential Effects of Litter Size and Within-Litter Birthweight on Postnatal Traits of Fatty Pigs

Marta Vázquez-Gómez  1 , Consolacion Garcia-Contreras  2 , José Luis Pesantez-Pacheco  3   4 , Laura Torres-Rovira  3 , Ana Heras-Molina  3 , Susana Astiz  3 , Cristina Óvilo  2 , Beatriz Isabel  1 , Antonio Gonzalez-Bulnes  1   3
Affiliations

Differential Effects of Litter Size and Within-Litter Birthweight on Postnatal Traits of Fatty Pigs

Marta Vázquez-Gómez et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Fatty pigs are characterized by a thrifty genotype, adapted to harsh environments based on changes in metabolism and energy saving. Thus, we hypothesized that feto-maternal energy partitioning in large litters might have postnatal effects that might be independent of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) processes. Hence, the current work reported the influence of two effects on postnatal performance and carcass and meat quality of purebred Iberian pigs: (a) the effects of the number of piglets in the litter (high vs. low litter size), and (b) the effects of birthweight (low (LBW) vs. normal (NBW)) in large litters. The results confirmed that NBW piglets born in large litters had differences in developmental patterns of weight, back-fat deposition, and fatty acid (FA) composition when compared to NBW piglets from small litters. These results were different from those found in LBW piglets when compared to their NBW counterparts, which showed an initial asymmetrical growth and altered muscle FA composition at slaughtering. The assessment of FA composition indicated better metabolic status in NBW piglets from large litters than in LBW piglets. These data support the concept that the prenatal environment, even when the individual may cope with it, inescapably affects postnatal life.

Keywords: developmental programming; intrauterine growth restriction; pig; postnatal growth; prolificacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean values (±SD) of body weight (a), trunk length (b), and thoracic and abdominal circumferences (c,d) over the course of lactation when comparing normal birth-birth (NBW) piglets from small (n = 24) and large litters (n = 30). Asterisks indicate significant differences between groups (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean values (±SD) of body weight (a), trunk length (b), and thoracic and abdominal circumferences (c,d) over time of lactation when comparing low birth-weight(BW) (n = 18) vs. normal BW piglets (n = 38) in large litters. Asterisks indicate significant differences (** p < 0.01).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean values (±SD) of body weight (a), trunk length (b), and thoracic and abdominal circumferences (c,d) over the course of juvenile development (25 to 180 days old) when comparing normal birth-birth (NBW) piglets from small (n = 16) and large litters (n = 18). Asterisks indicate significant differences (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean values (±SD) of total and inner-layer back-fat depths (a,b) over the course of juvenile development (25 to 180 days old) when comparing normal birth-birth (NBW) piglets from small (n = 16) and large litters (n = 18). Asterisks indicate significant differences (* p < 0.05).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Mean values (±SD) of body weight (a), trunk length (b), and thoracic and abdominal circumferences (c,d) over the course of juvenile development (25 to 180 days old) when comparing low birth-weight(BW; (n = 10) vs. normal BW piglets (n = 22). Asterisks indicate significant differences (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01).
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