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Multiple methyl donors are essential nutrients provided solely by the diet. Previous data showed that gestational diets supplemented with methyl donors improved the antioxidant capacity of sows and newborn piglets and affected DNA methylation of the muscle glycogen synthase and lactate dehydrogenase genes of newborn piglets and finishing pigs. However, limited studies have examined links between maternal methyl donor supplementation and the growth-development characteristics of offspring, and possible underlying mechanisms for such links. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether methyl donor supplementation throughout gestation, lactation or the post-weaning period affects the growth performance and meat quality of adult pigs, and whether muscle fiber characteristics and / or antioxidative capacity are changed during this process. For this purpose, twenty-four sows were distributed between a control or methyl donor-supplemented diet during pregnancy and lactation. Forty-eight female offspring were fed the control or methyl donor-supplemented diet from weaning to 6 months of age, resulting in four study groups (six litters per group): control/control, control/ methyl donor, methyl donor/control, and methyl donor/ methyl donor.
Results showed that maternal methyl donor-supplementation increased average daily gain, body weight, lean percentage and longissimus dorsi of the offspring at day 180, and upregulated the myosin heavy chain IIx, myogenic differentiation and muscle regulatory factor 4 mRNA levels in the longissimus dorsi muscle. Meanwhile, offspring from maternal methyl donor-supplementation exhibited a higher pH24h post-mortem and superoxide dismutase activity, a lower relative lightness, glycolytic potential, malonaldehyde content in the longissimus dorsi muscle, and plasma homocysteine concentration.
Maternal methyl donor-supplementation has a remarkable effect on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of the offspring, which is associated with increased expression levels of myogenic genes and anti-oxidant capacity.
Zhao Y, Jin C, Xuan Y, Zhou P, Fang Z, Che L, Xu S, Feng B, Li J, Jiang X, Wu D. Effect of maternal or post‐weaning methyl donor supplementation on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of pig offspring. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 2019; 99(5): 2096-2107. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.9402