PREPARATION OF NEONATAL PIG CARCASS HOMOGENATES BY AUTOCLAVING: INFLUENCE ON PROXIMATE AND LIPID ANALYSIS

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Abstract
The application of autoclaving as a means of homogenizing neonatal pig carcasses was evaluated in two experiments. Aliquots of whole ground carcasses (n = 18) or split frozen carcasses (n = 6) were used as initial analytical material in exps. 1 and 2, respectively. No effect (P > 0.05) of autoclaving on the nitrogen, ash, petroleum ether extract or gross energy of the carcasses was detected. Chloroform:methanol (2:1) extractable material was increased in autoclaved samples (P < 0.0001), the increase attributable to additional protein and other nitrogenous material. The chloroform soluble fraction of the chloroform:methanol extract was increased by autoclaving (P < 0.01) while the petroleum ether soluble fraction was not changed (P > 0.05). Only small changes in fatty acid profile were detected (P < 0.05), but lipid subclass profile, as measured by an Iatroscan, was changed appreciably by autoclaving. Autoclaving was found to be a satisfactory, if not superior method to grinding for preparation of piglet carcasses for gross chemical analysis, provided the chloroform:methanol extract was further processed to identify true lipid content. Autoclaving may not be satisfactory for preparation of carcass samples for detailed lipid analysis. Key words: Proximate analysis, carcass composition, pig