Comparison of Meat Quality and fibre Characteristics in Pigs Breeding in Cement Floor and Deep Litter Floor

The quality of pork has become an increasing concern for consumers, yet the impacts of floor types on meat quality remain insufficiently understood. This study aimed to compare the meat quality and muscle fibre characteristics of pigs raised on cement floors (CF) and deep litter floors (DF). Two large-scale pig farms were selected for the study: one with DF and one with CF. When pigs reached a body weight of 110 kg, six animals from each group were euthanized, and samples of the longissimus dorsi, psoas major muscle, and quadriceps femoris muscle were collected for analysis. The results showed that the meat of pigs raised on DF had significantly higher redness (p < 0.05) and drip loss (p < 0.0001) compared to those raised on CF. The concentration of glucose-6-phosphate (p < 0.05), lactic acid (p < 0.01), and glycolytic potential (p < 0.01) was significantly lower in DF pigs, while the concentration of glycogen (p < 0.01) was notably higher. Additionally, the cross-sectional area of longissimus dorsi was significantly higher in DF pigs (p < 0.001). Expression levels of MyHC-IIa (p < 0.05), MyHC-IIx (p < 0.05), and MyHC-1β (p < 0.05) were higher in DF pigs, while MyHC-IIb expression was significantly greater in CF pigs. These results suggest that raising pigs on DF enhances meat quality attributes such as redness, drip loss, and inosine acid and guanosine monophosphate content by modulating metabolic processes, enzyme activity, muscle fibre types, and MyHC gene expression. This study provides valuable insights into optimizing pig production systems for improved meat quality in China.