Influence of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and age at slaughtering on performance, slaughter- and meat quality, lipoproteins, and tissue deposition of CLA in barrows.

To assess the effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on performance, slaughter and meat quality, 100 Danish barrows were fed diets containing 0.5% sunflower oil (control) and 0.5% CLA from 40 kg live weight until slaughter at either 100 or 130 kg live weight. Plasma total cholesterol (P=0.006) and HDL-cholesterol (P=0.021) was reduced, and plasma FFA-concentration increased (P=0.06) in pigs fed CLA. CLA supplementation improved (P=0.01) the feed utilisation by 4.7% and 4.3% for pigs slaughtered at 100 and 130 kg, respectively. Daily gain tended (P=0.06) to increase with the CLA-treatment (1.236 versus 1.194 kg for CLA- and control, respectively). Dietary treatments had no effects on slaughter- (meat percentage and backfat thickness) and meat quality responses (pH, temperature and water holding capacity). CLA tended (P=0.09) to reduce the intramuscular cholesterol, but had no influence on the total content of intramuscular fat.