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Abstract: The oxidation of L-arginine, monomethyl L-arginine and asymmetric dimethyl arginine catalyzed by copper/TPQ-amine oxidases from lentil (Lens esculenta) seedlings and pig kidney was investigated by optical spectroscopy and HPLC analyses. L-Arginine and its methylated derivatives were shown to be poor substrates for both enzymes and were oxidized by an unusual mechanism yielding glutamate-5-semialdehyde, ammonia, urea and their derivatives as reaction products. These findings suggest that amine oxidases might represent an alternative metabolic pathway of the arginine and its methylated derivatives, yielding new metabolites like urea, methylurea and dimethylurea.

AbstractIt is known that the sensory properties, i.e. smell, taste, colour, juiciness, texture and tenderness represent the principal factors able to condition drastically the choices of the consumers at the moment of purchase, therefore, they have a role of primary importance regarding the qualification of the product. The physical characteristics of the meat are influenced by different factors such as: age, sex, breed, breeding system and transport, slaughtering and ripeness; the aim of this study was to evaluate some physical characteristics of pig meat derived from two different autochthonous Italian genetic types. The trial was carried out on 30 castrated males pigs, 15 Sarda and 15 Nero Siciliano, reared outdoor respectively in the Ogliastra (Sardinia-Italy) and in the Nebrodi (Sicily-Italy) mountain area at 550±50 m above sea level. Animals fed spontaneous fruits, acorn principally, of undergrowth variable in relation to the seasons. In March 2006, at the age of 2 years and live weight of 106.4±4.2 kg for the Sarda and 107.2±3.6 kg for the Nero Siciliano, the pigs were slaughtered. At 45’ post mortemthe pH1value of each half-carcass was determined (Hanna Instrument HI 9023). After 24 hours of refrigeration at 4° C from the right half-carcass of each animal, one sample of Longissimus lumborummuscle (L2-L5) was taken and the pHu, Colour (CIEL*a*b* system; Minolta CR – 400), Cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force (INSTRON 5542) analysed.Data were subjected to the statistical analysis of variance by the GLM procedure of SAS. The pH1(Sarda 6.07 vs. Nero Siciliano 6.06; P=0.29) and pHu(Sarda 5.98 vs. Nero Siciliano 5.45; P=0.06) values indicate a bad progress of meat acidification for the Sarda pigs; this could be due to the typical extensive breeding system of these animals, therefore to the difficulties of their capture and transportation to the slaughterhouse. Significant differences were observed for the colour parameters of the meat with the lowest values of L* (Sarda 39.91 vs. Nero Siciliano 50.88; P=0.001), a* (Sarda 11.21 vs. Nero Siciliano 15.70; P=0.001), b* (Sarda 4.03 vs. Nero Siciliano 4.63; P=0.031) and Chroma (Sarda 11.85 vs. Nero Siciliano 16.39; P=0.001) in the Sarda pigs; these data are related to the highest pHuvalues. The Cooking loss has shown no significant differences between two genetic types (Sarda 27.79% vs. Nero Siciliano 27.80%; P=0.50). As regards the tenderness, the values of WBS (Sarda 4.29 kg f/cm2vs. Nero Siciliano 3.57 kg f/cm2; P=0.02) were significantly lowest in the meat of Nero Siciliano pigs, in relation to the best acidification of the muscle of these animals, testifying a meat more tender than that of Sarda pigs. Data show that, for improving the meat quality and its aptitude to the transformation, it need to modify, at least during the finishing period, the breeding system of these autochthonous pigs in a “plein air” system.

AbstractThe evaluation of the carcasses and the percentage effect of the cuts can provide useful data for establishing breeding techniques which can improve the productive performance of autochthonous pigs. The aim of the study was to evaluate some post mortemperformances of Sarda and Nero Siciliano pigs, reared outdoors. The study was carried out on 30 male, castrated pigs over the age of 2 years and with a live weight at slaughtering of 106.4± 4.2 kg for the “Sarda” (15 subjects) and 107.2 ± 3.6 kg for the “Nero Siciliano” (15 subjects) pigs. The Sarda pigs were reared in a wooded area in the Ogliastra mountains (Sardinia-Italy) and the Nero Siciliano pigs in the Nebrodi mountains (Sicily-Italy), at an altitude of 550 ± 50m a.s.l., where they fed on underwood vegetation consisting mainly of acorns. After being slaughtered, which for both groups took place in March 2006, we determined the productivity for each subject, the thickness of dorsal fat located at the first (1T) and the last (UT) thoracic vertebra and at the top of the middle gluteus (GM). Subsequently, on the right side of each subject, we carried out the dissection of the lean cuts (loin, ham, shoulder and neck), adipose cuts (belly, backfat, jowl, flare fat) and bone cuts (head and feet). The data obtained were submitted to variance analyses using the procedure GLM of SAS (2001). The pigs belonging to the two genetic types registered top yield, both hot (Sarda 82.1% vs. Nero Siciliano 82.9%; P=0.37) and cold (Sarda 80.5% vs. Nero Siciliano 80.8%; P=0.76), while the Nero Siciliano subjects demonstrated a higher thickness of dorsal fat at 1T (Sarda 4.1cm vs. Nero Siciliano 5.2cm; P=0.0002), UT (Sarda 3.2cm vs. Nero Siciliano 4.7cm; P35=0.0001) and GM (Sarda 2.8cm vs. 4.6cm; P=0.0001). The composition of the side cuts highlighted a major incidence of loin (Sarda13.7% vs. Nero Siciliano 14.6%; P=0.017), ham (Sarda 26.6% vs. Nero Siciliano 30.5%; P=0.0001) and shoulder (Sarda 16.7% vs. Nero Siciliano 17.4%; P=0.23) for the Nero Siciliano pig, while no significant difference emerged between the two genetic types for the adipose cuts such as belly (Sarda 11.4% vs. Nero Siciliano 10.7%; P=0.23), backfat (Sarda 7.6% vs. Nero Siciliano 8.5%; P=0.29), jowl (Sarda 4.01% vs. Nero Siciliano 4.28%; P=0.27) and flare fat (Sarda 5.29% vs. Nero Siciliano 6.01%; P=0.052), the same as for the bone cuts, head (Sarda 5.7% vs. Nero Siciliano 5.6%; P=0.48) and feet (Sarda 0.9% vs. Nero Siciliano 0.99%; P=0.18). Therefore, the Nero Siciliano pigs demonstrated a higher incidence of meat cuts, a probable expression of a different process of selection of this genetic type. This study has contributed to the supply of useful information for the eventual trends of fresh use and/or the transformation of carcasses, contributing to the zootechnic protection of this population of pigs, both for the quality of their production and the profitable use of marginal areas.

AbstractFour different mixtures were prepared using meat from native pigs. Mixtures 1 and 2 were made in Sardinia using meat from pigs of Sarda breed, mixtures 3 and 4 in Sicily, using meat from the Nera Siciliana breed. The manufacturing were different not only for the typology of the meat but also for the meat cuts used and the ingredients. Batches 1 and 3 were made in non conditioned natural environments, while batches 2 and 4 in conditioned environments. Chemical-physical and microbiological analyses were carried out on the fresh mixture, after 7 days of ripening (end of drying in conditioned environment and at the end of seasoning (28 days). The thermoigrometric environmental parameters and the variation in the weight of the production were measured during ripening.Regarding the Lactic Acid Bacteria and the Micrococcaceae,microorganisms of normal maturation, a rapid development, except for batch 1, was observed for all batches at 7 days of ripening. In batches 2 and 4 an increase of Enterobacteriaceaein the drying phase and a their decrease in the seasoning phase were noticed. In batch 3 their inactivation resulted slow. Such occurrences were probably due to the hygienic conditions and non inhibiting technological parameters.The initial humidity was less than 60% with the exception of batch 3; the quantity of NaCl ranged between 2 and 2.8%. The amount of fat varied between 14 and 24% at the beginning of the ripening, then reached values ranging between of 20 and 38% at the end of the seasoning phase. All the batches showed a decrease of awincluded between 0.97 (mixture) and 0.87 (final product); the highest value of awrecorded in test 1 was attributable to the lower T recorded both during the drying and seasoning phase.The pH reached the lowest values at the end of the 7 days and then increased, with the exception of batch 3, which decreased during the whole seasoning phase.