Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (11): 5449-5463.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.11.009

• Animal Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Lipid Composition Analysis of Subcutaneous Backfat in "Jinwu Pig"

ZHANG Wenjuan1,2(), SHENG Qing1, PENG Yongjia2,*(), ZHANG Jin2,*()   

  1. 1. College of Life Sciences and Medicine, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310029, China
    2. College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China
  • Received:2025-04-08 Online:2025-11-23 Published:2025-11-27
  • Contact: PENG Yongjia, ZHANG Jin E-mail:zhang4108211998@163.com;pengyongjia@zjxu.edu.cn;lzhangjin7688@163.com

Abstract:

This study aimed to clarify the fat deposition characteristics and lipid composition of the new black pig strain "Jinwu pig", providing a theoretical basis for its further breeding and promotion. Backfat tissue of 7-month-old "Jinwu pigs" was used as the experimental group, with commercial Duroc×Landrace×Large White pigs of comparable slaughter weight ((117±5)kg) as the control. Frozen sections were prepared to analyze adipocyte size and morphology. Non-targeted lipidomics combined with a Waters UPLC coupled to a Q Exactive high-resolution mass spectrometer was applied to determine lipid composition. Data annotation was performed using Lipid Search software, and multivariate statistical analyses including principal component analysis (PCA), partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), and variable importance in projection (VIP) were conducted. Lipids were considered differentially expressed when VIP>1, FC>1.5 or FC < 0.65, and P < 0.05. Histological analysis showed that the adipocyte diameter of "Jinwu pigs" ((199±14)μm) was significantly larger than that of Duroc×Landrace×Large White pigs ((120±15)μm) (P < 0.05). Lipidomics revealed 95 lipids with significantly different abundance between the two groups (34 upregulated, 61 downregulated), mainly enriched in phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), and triacylglycerol (TG). Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these differential lipids were involved in cell membrane components, glycerophosphocholine (neurotransmitter synthesis), glycerophospholipids (membrane structure and signaling), endoplasmic reticulum and unsaturated fatty acids. Correlation analysis showed that adipocyte diameter was negatively correlated with PC lipids, but positively correlated with TG, PE, and PS lipids. Compared with Duroc×Landrace×Large White pigs, "Jinwu pigs" exhibited larger adipocytes and greater lipid deposition in backfat tissue. Lipidomic profiling revealed higher abundance of TG, PE, and PS, but lower abundance of PC. These findings elucidate the lipid composition characteristics of "Jinwu pigs" at the lipidomics level and provide a theoretical basis for understanding the breed-specific traits of black pigs.

Key words: Jinwu pig, Duroc×Landrace×Yorkshire pig, back fat, lipid composition, correlation analysis

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