A Comparative Study On Growth, Muscle Cellularity And Flesh Quality Of Farmed And Imitative Ecological Farming Loach, Misgurnus Anguillicaudatus

This study was carried to compare amino acids content, muscle cellularity, and flesh quality between farmed and imitative ecological farming loach, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus. Loach from farmed (average body weight 15.03 +/- 0.36 g, average body length 13.41 +/- 0.17 cm) and imitative ecological farming population (average body weight 12.44 +/- 0.62 g, average body length 13.80 +/- 0.26 cm) were used to analyze growth, body parameters, muscle composition, texture characteristics, amino acids content, relationship between muscle cellularity and textural parameters, and myogenic regulatory factors expression. The results showed the final weight, condition factor, hepatosomatic index and viscera index of farmed loach were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than of imitative ecological farming loach. Hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and resilience and Phe, Glu, and Tyr contents of imitative ecological farming loach were significantly higher than of farmed loach (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, muscle density of loach showed a positive and significant correlation with hardness (p < 0.05). Expression of growthrelated genes including MyoD in farmed loach was significantly higher than in imitative ecological farming loach (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the flesh quality of imitative ecological farming loach is better than that of farmed loach.