The effects of sex on differences in carcass traits and physico-chemical properties of muscle and adipose tissues were investigated using four castrated males and four females of crossbred Berkshire sow×wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomytax), all wich were littermate. These animals were slaughtered at a live weight of approx. 90kg and were subjected to the experiment. The following results were obtained.
1) There were no appreciable differences in dressing percentage, and in the balance of anterior, central and posterior parts of body between the castrated males and the females. As to the ratios of composition of bone, fat and muscles in the posterior part, the ratios of bone and fat were significantly higher in the castrated males than in the females, while that of muscles was significantly higher in the females than in the castrated males.
2) Back fat tended to be thicker in the castrated males than in the females. The loineye area was significantly larger between the 5th and the 6th and between the 10th and the 11th thoracic vertebrae of the females than in the castrated males.
3) There were no significant differences between the castrated males and the females in terms of the chemical composition of muscles and the color shade of M. longissimus dorsi.
4) No appreciable difference was observed between the castrated males and the females in the composition of fatty acids in muscles. There was no significant difference between the castrated males and the females in the composition of fatty acids of back fat, whereas the content of oleic acid in kidney leaf fat of castrated males was significantly higher than that of the females, although the content of linoleic acid in it was significantly higher in the females than in the castrated males.
From the above-mentione results, it was conceived that the differences in physico-chemical properties between the castrated males and the females were comparatively small as compared with carcass traits.
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