Comparison of Mangalica and Hungarian Large White pigs at identical bodyweight: 1. Backfat histology (Short Communication)

Abstract

At 130 kg bodyweight Mangalica and Hungarian Large White pig adipose tissue was compared, by means of histology. Adipose cell diameter (117.2 ± 24.1 vs. 55.3 ± 17 μm, Mangalica vs. Hungarian Large White), size (118.9 ± 44.3 vs. 31.9 ± 0.63 μm 2 ·100) and volume (8.01 ± 0.67 vs. 2.18 ± 0.18 μm 3 ·1 000) was significantly higher in Mangalica, while the hydroxyproline content (0.04 ± 0.005 vs. 0.23 ± 0.014 weight% of wet tissue) and the connective tissue area in the microscopic images (%) were ca. 5-fold higher in Hungarian Large White. The present quantitative results underscore the experience that at identical bodyweight the fat (89.9 ± 1.19 vs. 78.9 ± 0.39 %) and dry matter content (97.8 ± 1.72 vs. 87.7 ± 0.38 %, Mangalica vs. Hungarian Large White), as well as the cellularity of Mangalica largely differs from that of Hungarian Large White.