Δ9-desaturase polymorphism association with fatty acid profile of Italian PDO dry cured hams

PDO dry-cured ham (prosciutto) is the main product of the Italian pig industry. Fatty acid profile is of major importance for the technological properties of the fresh thigh and for the dietary and sensory quality of the ham. ∆9-desaturase (SCD) is a microsomal enzyme required for the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids and therefore a potential candidate gene to explain the differences in the MUFA content in meat and fat. Through sequencing, a SNP was observed in the SCD promoter. Forty-six pigs of Italian Landrace x Italian Large White cross breed (“reference hybrids”) and 32 Goland, a commercial hybrid, were genotyped by PCR-RFLP for this mutation. Fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography in thigh subcutaneous fat. Single locus genotype association analysis was carried out using the General Linear Model in SPSS. The genotypic frequencies of the SCD polymorphism were different between the two pig hybrids. However, independently of the pig genetic type, significant associations (P < 0.05) were found between the SCD polymorphism and the ratios of palmitoleic to palmitic acids and of oleic to stearic acids, as well as the ratio of MUFA to SFA. These findings confirm our previous results and suggest that the SCD promoter polymorphism is associated with the quality of PDO dry cured Italian hams.