The impact of pig breed on stress levels and meat quality: a study on mangalita purebred and Duroc x Landrace crossbred pigs in Romania

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the impact of pig breed on stress levels and meat quality in two commercial pig farms in the north-eastern part of Romania. One farm raised 52 Mangalita pure-bred pigs and the other 82 Duroc x Landrace crossbred pigs. Serum cortisol, a biomarker of stress, and serum glucose were measured before and after slaughtering, while meat pH was measured at 45 minutes and 24 hours post-mortem. Results showed that the Duroc x Landrace crossbred pigs had higher serum cortisol and glucose values before and after slaughtering compared to the Mangalita purebred pigs. The meat pH values of the two breeds were similar, with the pH45 and pH24 values being 6.67 and 5.48 for Duroc x Landrace crossbred and 6.53 and 5.52 for Mangalita purebred, respectively. These results suggest that pig breed can have an impact on stress levels and meat quality, with Duroc x Landrace crossbred pigs showing higher stress levels and meat quality being not affected by the breed of pig. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to understand the underlying mechanisms.