Genetic structure, relationship and diversity were analyzed in Croatian autochthonous breeds, Turopolje pig (CATP, 48 samples) and Black Slavonian pig (CABS, 28 samples), using 14 microsatellite loci. As traditionally those breeds are kept in the outdoor system, we also analyzed potential admixture with local wild pigs, Lonjsko polje National Park area (WBLP, 20 samples) and Djakovo area (WBDJ, 20 samples), as well as a wild pig population from Island Cres (WBCI, 20 samples) representing an out-group. A posterior Bayesian approach implemented in the program STRUCTURE indicating existence of two autochthonous (CATP & CABS) and two wild pig populations [WBNP (WBLP & WBDJ) & WBCI] with low level of admixture between domestic and wild populations. The lowest differentiation was estimated between WBNP and CABS (FST=0.154) as well as between WBNP and WBCI (FST=0.159). In contrast, CATP was rather differentiated from CABS (FST=0.240), from WBNP (FST=0.292) and from WBCI (FST=0.429). High allele richness [total number of alleles (AT)] and diversity [expected heterozygosity (He)] was observed in WBNP [AT=7.1, He=0.67] and CABS [AT=6.4, He=0.72] populations while much lower values were observed in CATP [AT=5.6, He=0.49] and WBCI [AT=3.5, He=0.49]. In conclusion, the results obtained indicated urgent need for the effective conservation program for CATP population.

1 Fac. of Agriculture Univ. of Zagreb, Dept. of Animal Science, Svetosimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 2 Fac. of Agriculture Univ. of Zagreb, Dept. of Animal Nutrition and Husbandry, Svetosimunska c. 25, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 3 Ministry of Agriculture, Veterinary Directorate, Planinska 2a, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia ABSTRACT The study was carried out on 272 Zagorje turkey chicks to estimate the effect of two different protein levels in diets on growth, bone development and carcass composition at the final age of 24 weeks. Birds of both sexes were divided into two groups: high protein (HP) and low protein group (LP) with 136 animals in each (68 ♂ and 68 ♀). LP group was fed a diet with 4% less crude protein content than the HP group during the first 8 weeks of age, while after this period both group were fed the same diet with access to a fenced pasture of 0.5 ha/group. Higher protein content in early rearing period had a positive effect on final body weight at 24 weeks of age. In the same time, morphometric characteristics of main bones showed that male turkeys of HP group had the most developed skeletal system and consequently the highest carcass weight. The carcass weight in male of HP group was higher than 3.0–3.5 kg as a preferable weight of processed carcasses of Zagorje turkey by Croatian consumers. These suggest that lowering the growth intensity by protein undernutrition during the first 8 weeks could have beneficial effects on carcass market of Zagorje turkey.

Broj somatskih stanica u mlijeku pokazatelj je higijenske kvalitete mlijeka i opci indikator zdravlja vimena. Njihov povecan broj je pouzdan znak poremecaja zdravlja krava ili higijensko- sanitarnih uvjeta proizvodnje. U cilju povecanja proizvodnje mlijeka te s obzirom na citav niz cimbenika koji mogu utjecati na variranje broja somatskih stanica vrlo je važno poznavanje njihovog utjecaja u nasim proizvodnim uvjetima. U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati analiza broja somatskih stanica od 395.299 uzoraka mlijeka u razdoblju od 2000. do 2008. godine. Testiran je utjecaj sezone (godisnje doba) na broj somatskih stanica u mlijeku. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju znacajno variranje broja somatskih stanica tijekom razdoblja 2000.-2008. godine. S izuzetkom 2003. i 2004. godine može se uociti trend postepenog smanjenja broja somatskih stanica, koji je najvjerojatnije posljedica donosenja zakonskih propisa koji uređuju to podrucje (Pravilnika o kakvoci svježeg sirovog mlijeka i Uredbe o ciljnoj cijeni svježeg sirovog mlijeka) odnosno utjecaja broja somatskih stanica na formiranje otkupne cijene mlijeka. Nadalje, utvrđeno je da sezona (godisnje doba) ima znacajnog utjecaja na variranje broja somatskih stanica u mlijeku. U nasim klimatskim uvjetima povecan broj somatskih stanica uocen je u ljetnim i jesenskim mjesecima, a niži u proljetnim i zimskim mjesecima sto je najvjerojatnije posljedica visokih temperatura i vlage u tim razdobljima godine.

This work aimed to study the influence of dietary linseed on fatty acid profile and lipid oxidation in pig muscle (m. longissimus dorsi) and back fat. Sixty PIC fatteners were equally allotted to dietary treatments at initial live weight of about 27 kg and fed for 90 days with a control or a linseed diet (3% linseed, 105 mg/kg of α-tocopheryl acetate). Growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality were not affected by feeding linseed to any significant extent. No differences were found in the proportion of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids of muscle or back fat between diets. However, both muscle and back fat from linseed diet had a significantly higher n–3 and polyunsaturated fatty acid proportion (%), including C18:3n–3, C20:5n–3 and C22:6n–3, and a lower n–6/n–3 ratio compared with the control diet (4.3 vs.1.3, 1.9 vs. 0.44, 0.76 vs. 0.14, 0.17 vs. 0.12, and 4.6 vs. 17.4 ratio in muscle, and 5.3 vs.1.2, 4.3 vs. 0.87, 0.07 vs. 0.02, 0.04 vs. 0.02, and 2.8 vs. 15.8 ratio in back fat, respectively). Lipid oxidation, measured as 2- thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances was similar in muscle when feeding both diets after cold storage up to 6 days, but more developed in back fat when feeding the linseed diet after 3 days of cold storage. This study confirmed that continuous feeding of pigs with a relatively low level of linseed can produce a pork meat enhanced with both C18:3n–3 and pre- formed C20-22n–3, and with nutritionally optimized n–6/n–3 ratios without adverse effects on fatteners’ performances carcass traits and meat quality.

This study investigated diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene K232A mutation in Simmental cattle and its effects on fat deposition traits. The sample (n=26) consisted of yearling bulls and beef heifers from an intensive rearing system in Croatia. Carcass fatness was assessed by total dissection method, whereas intramuscular fat (m. longissimus dorsi) content was determined using Soxhlet extraction with hydrolysis. Intramuscular fatty acid composition was determined by gas liquid chromatography using in situ transesterification. The muscle DNA was extracted and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCRRFLP) analysis of the 411 bp fragment of DGAT1 gene was applied. The DGAT1 K allele was less frequent in heifers than in bulls, with the overall allelic frequency of 17% K allele. Only KA and AA genotypes were obtained, without deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Heifers showed a higher degree of carcass and muscle fattening with more unsaturated intramuscular fat than bulls; however, there was no interaction between sex and DGAT1 gene. Generally, no significant difference between DGAT1 AA and KA animals was observed for any of the examined traits, except the slightly higher carcass share of the fattest beef category and higher intramuscular C14:0 desaturation index in KA heterozygous.

Since 1996, the Turopolje pig is recognised as a Croatian autochthonous extensive pig breed and was include in program of "in situ" preservation. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the changes in breeding population of Turopolje pig in relation to re productive traits and brucellosis outbreaks. 529 liters from 388 sows were analysed in the period from 2000 to 2 009. In average 1.2 liters/sow/year were observed with 4.21 and 3.90 piglets born alive and weaned per litter, respectively. Mortality rate during the weaning period was close to 20%. In the period from 1996 to 2009 the size of breeding population was increased more than ten times in the number of sows and five times in the number of boars. In 2008, the numbers of sows and boars decreased about 21% in relation to 2 007, primarily due to an outbreak of brucellosis. In average 44.2% and 30.1% of tested pigs during 2008 and 2009 were serologically positive to Brucella suis infection and were excluded from population. These results suggest requirements to increase the number of litters per year and survival of pigs born alive due to changes in Turopolje pig production system and development of a health monitoring program.