Effects of maternal inflammation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of offspring pigs

The objective of this research was to determine the effects of mid-gestational maternal inflammation on performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of offspring. Pregnant gilts were administered either lipopolysaccharide (LPS; n = 7) or saline (CON, n = 7) from days 70 to 84 of gestation. Gilts assigned to the LPS treatment were administered an intravenous injection of reconstituted LPS every other day with a beginning dose of 10 mu g LPS/kg body weight and subsequent doses increasing by 12%, while CON gilts received intravenous injections of comparable volumes of saline. Gilts farrowed naturally, and at day 66 of age, a total of 59 pigs, both barrows and gilts began a 3-phase feeding regimen designed to meet or exceed nutrient requirements for growing-finishing pigs. Pigs were weighed on days 0, 35, 70, and 105 of the finishing trial to determine average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and gain-to-feed ratio (G:F). On day 106, pigs were slaughtered under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Inspection Service. Ending live weight, hot carcass weight, and dressing percentage were determined. The left side of carcasses was weighed and fabricated to determine carcass cutting yields. The semitendinosus was collected for histological samples. Fresh belly characteristics and loin quality were measured. Two chops were collected for Warner-Bratzler shear force and proximate analysis. No differences (P >= 0.13) between LPS and CON pigs were observed for growth performance in phases 1, 2, 3, or overall (days 0 to 105) performance with the exception of overall G:F reduced in CON pigs compared with LPS pigs (P = 0.03). There was a tendency for carcass yield to be reduced (P = 0.06; 0.82% units) in LPS pigs compared with CON pigs. Additionally, longissimus muscle area tended to be reduced (P = 0.10) 2.27 cm2 in LPS compared with CON pigs. Loin chop quality traits including instrumental color, subjective color, marbling, firmness, pH, and drip loss were not different (P >= 0.09) between LPS and CON pigs. Fresh belly characteristics were not different (P >= 0.22) between LPS and CON pigs. There were no differences in primal and subprimal weights, except that LPS pigs tended to have a reduction (P >= 0.07) in tenderloin and Canadian back weights compared with CON pigs. Furthermore, LPS pigs had no differences (P >= 0.25) in muscle fiber composition or size; however, LPS pigs tended (P = 0.10) to have a 13% reduction in estimated muscle fibers number compared with CON pigs. In summary, mid-gestational inflammation did not result in reduced meat quality, growth performance, or carcass yields of offspring. An acute maternal inflammatory challenge during mid-gestation tended to reduce muscle fiber number in the offspring, but did not impact growth performance, carcass characteristics, or overall pork quality. Gestation is a crucial time for communicating the outside environment to the fetus. Any influence on the fetus during gestation may have lifelong effects on the offspring. Most muscle fiber formation occurs in the beginning of the third trimester of gestation. Therefore, maternal inflammation during this period may be detrimental to fetal muscle development, which can ultimately stunt growth potential and influence carcass characteristics and meat quality. A majority of previous research that investigates maternal inflammation as a result of innate immune activation focuses on neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring, offering little relevance to animal agriculture. The influence of maternal infection on long-term growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality has received little attention. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate the impact of maternal inflammation on offspring growth, efficiency, carcass characteristics, and pork quality. The gestational challenge resulted in pigs that tended to have fewer total muscle fibers. However, gestational inflammation did not have an impact on overall growth performance, carcass characteristics, or pork quality of the offspring.