Effect of pig breed and dietary protein level on selected fatty acids and stearoyl CoA desaturase protein expression in longissimus muscle and subcutaneouse fat

Articles in International JournalsThe aims of the study were 1) to investigate effects of a low protein diet on fatty acids content and composition of the LM and subcutaneous adipose tissue in 3 genetically diverse breeds, Large White × Landrace, Alentejano, and Bizaro, and 2) to determine whether the effect of the low protein diet of fatty acid composition is associated with dietary modulation of stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) protein expression. The experiments were conducted on 12 Large White × Landrace, 12 Alentejano, and 10 Bízaro female and male pigs. The average animal BW at the beginning of experiments was 40.8, 40.7, and 38.3 kg for Large White × Landrace, Alentejano, and Bízaro, respectively, and the BW of animals at slaughter was 90 kg. The diets contained 202 or 169 g/kg DM of CP (high and low protein diets, respectively) and were balanced in essential AA. The diets were fed until the animals reached 90 kg BW (approximately 73 d). It was established that Large White × Landrace pigs had a less (P = 0.001) total fatty acid content in subcutaneous adipose tissue when compared with Alentejano and Bízaro and less (P < 0.001) intramuscular fat (IMF) content when compared with Alentejano. There was a positive relationship between SCD protein expression in the LM and MUFA content (r = 0.627, P = 0.029) and SCD protein expression and total muscle fatty acids content (r = 0.725, P = 0.008) in Large White × Landrace but not in Alentejano and Bizaro breeds. It has been suggested that SCD protein expression is associated with regulation of fat deposition only in breeds with genetic predisposition to a low IMF content

Bridging Gaps, Reforming Fisheries

Scientific debates often revolve around the issues of ‘unbiased science’ with the majority of scientists keeping themselves at arm’s length from policy-making to ensure their credibility. Participatory research has been shifting these dynamics and has led to the emergence of research practices and advice frameworks that allow co-creation of common knowledge bases for management. This chapter, following the description of 14 cases of participatory research, places these cases alongside each other, compares and examines them as pieces in a larger puzzle to let us identify emergent patterns. In doing that, we draw on the analytical basis developed in Chapter 2. To understand what goes on in the transition zone between top-down management and participatory governance, we focus on i) participation, ii) knowledge inclusion and iii) institutional reform. What we are seeing is that the case studies, instead of becoming arenas for negotiating knowledge gaps and removing false preconceptions, worked much more pragmatically, allowing fishermen access to the resources of science. With the ongoing institutional reform, emphasizing stakeholder participation and the need for broader sharing of responsibility for management processes, fisheries governance is changing. We explore this change process through the concept of the “scientific fisherman” introduced in Chapter 2, a character who is actively involved in management decision making and a competent and acknowledged participant in the processes of mobilizing knowledge for management purposes