Structure traits of Longissimus lumborum muscle in wild boar/domestic pig hybrids.

The structure of musculus longissimus lumborum (m.l.l.) was evaluated with respect to proportion of three muscle fiber types and their diameters, in gilts and barrows of wild boar/domestic pig hybrids. The experiment was carried out on 29 hybrids (21 barrows and 8 gilts) which originated from crossing Duroc sows with wild boar (Sus scrofa ferus). The diameter of the "red" fibres in barrows was 48.42 microm, significantly greater than in gilts--43.71 microm. The diameters of the remaining two types of fibres in barrows and gilts were similar and amounted to: "intermediate" fibres--39.08 and 40.79 microm, "white" fibres--51.42 and 51.03, respectively. In respect to sex no statistical differences in proportion of any types of fibers were found, which in barrows came to: "red"--12.93%, "intermediate"--30.17% and "white"--57.32%, and in gilts to: 12.50, 27.04 and 60.45%, respectively. In conclusion, in m.l.l. of wild boar/domestic pig hybrids, smaller diameters of all muscle fibers types were identified as well as a higher proportion of intermediate fibers in comparison to m.l.l. of various pig breeds. An increased proportion of the intermediate fibers probably results from the interaction between factors such as age (8-months), physical activity (open-air for running) and the influence of wild boar genes.