Effects of dietary starch types on growth performance, meat quality and myofibre type of finishing pigs

To investigate the effects of dietary starch types on growth performance and meat quality of finishing pigs, ninety barrows (68.0 ± 2.0 kg) were randomly allotted to three experimental diets with five replicates of six pigs, containing pure waxy maize starch (WMS), nonwaxy maize starch (NMS) and pea starch (PS) (amylose/amylopectin were 0.07, 0.19 and 0.28 respectively). Compared with WMS diet, PS diet increased the average daily gain, loin eye area, pH45 value, NMR transverse relaxation (T2)2 peak area ratio and sarcoplasmic protein solubility, decreased the feed to gain ratio, back fat, drip loss, cooking loss and T23 peak area ratio (P < 0.05). Moreover, PS diet increased the myosin heavy-chain (MyHC)-I and IIa levels, decreased the MyHC-IIb level, decreased the miR23a level and increased its target gene level, increased the miR499 level and decreased its target gene level (P < 0.05). Diet with high amylose content might be beneficial to the growth performance and meat quality of finishing pigs.