Effect of ractopamine on carcass characteristics and joint-cartilage soundness in finishing pigs
One hundred and fifty crossbred pigs (Camborough × Canabrid, equal numbers of gilts and barrows) at an average live weight of 64.2 kg were randomly assigned to diets containing 17 or 20% crude protein (with 0.8 or 1.1% lysine, respectively) and 0 or 20 ppm ractopamine. Pigs were slaughtered at an average live weight of 102.2 kg. Supplementation of ractopamine in pig diets significantly increased average daily gain (P < 0.005) and decreased feed to gain ratio (P < 0.001), with no effect on daily feed intake. Ractopamine feeding increased total lean (P < 0.001) and decreased total bone (P < 0.05) and total fat content (P < 0.001) of carcasses. The decreased fat content was largely due to the reduction of subcutaneous fat (P < 0.001). Cartilage visual scores and cartilage uronic acid concentrations of weight-bearing areas of humeral and femoral condyles were not affected by feeding ractopamine. Correlations between visual scores and uronic acid concentrations of joint cartilage and performance parameters and carcass characteristics were not significant. These results demonstrated that feeding ractopamine can increase pig growth rate and carcass leanness without detrimental effect on joint cartilage. Key words: Ractopamine, growth rate, uronic acid, cartilage, osteochondrosis, pigs