Circulating Non-Esterified Fatty Acids as Biomarkers for Fat Content and Composition in Pigs
Open Access
- 3 February 2021
- Vol. 11 (2), 386
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020386
Abstract
Circulating non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) can reflect the composition of dietary fat or adipose tissues depending on the fasting conditions. Therefore, circulating NEFA may be valuable as biomarkers for meat quality traits, such as intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition in finishing pigs. Genetic variants that regulate lipid metabolism can also modulate the circulating NEFA. We conducted an experiment with 150 heavy Duroc pigs to evaluate fluctuations in the circulating NEFA composition due to age, fasting duration and two genetic polymorphisms, one in the leptin receptor (LEPR; rs709596309) and one in the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD; rs80912566) gene. Circulating NEFA were more saturated and less monounsaturated than the subcutaneous and intramuscular adipose tissues. Absolute circulating NEFA content was more influenced by fasting duration than age. The SCD polymorphism did not impact NEFA content or composition. The LEPR polymorphism affected the content but not the fatty acid composition. Circulating oleic acid NEFA content after a short fasting was positively correlated with intramuscular fat content and, after a long fasting, with intramuscular oleic acid content. We conclude that circulating NEFA reflect environmental and genetic metabolic changes but are of limited value as biomarkers for intramuscular fat content and fatty acid composition.Keywords
Funding Information
- Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España (AGL2012-33529, AGL2015-65846-R, RTI2018-101346-B-I00)
This publication has 31 references indexed in Scilit:
- Association between Plasma Nonesterified Fatty Acids Species and Adipose Tissue Fatty Acid CompositionPLOS ONE, 2013
- Mononuclear leukocyte fatty acid composition and inflammatory phenotype in periparturient and lactating sows1Journal of Animal Science, 2013
- Nonesterified Fatty Acid Determination for Functional Lipidomics: Comprehensive Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Quantitation, Qualification, and Parameter PredictionAnalytical Chemistry, 2012
- Association between plasma metabolites and gene expression profiles in five porcine endocrine tissuesGenetics Selection Evolution, 2011
- Prospective association between fasting NEFA and type 2 diabetes: impact of post-load glucoseDiabetologia, 2010
- Lipolysis and lipid mobilization in human adipose tissueProgress in Lipid Research, 2009
- A Model of NEFA Dynamics with Focus on the Postprandial StateAnnals of Biomedical Engineering, 2009
- Fat deposition, fatty acid composition and meat quality: A reviewMeat Science, 2008
- Physiological regulation of NEFA availability: lipolysis pathwayProceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2004
- Adipose tissue metabolism in obesity: Lipase action in vivo before and after a mixed mealMetabolism, 1992