Table 1. Physico-chemical quality indicators of pig carcasses.

Indicators	Pre-slaughter weight
	Group I (110 kg)	Group II (130 kg)	Significance
Water holding capacity, %	5.0 ± 0.18	4.8 ± 0.14	NS
Tenderness, cm2/gm of total nitrogen	1,047.5 ± 16.12	1,043.3 ± 18.68	NS
Color intensity, points Minolta L*	13.7 ± 0.40	14.5 ± 0.42	NS
Marbling, points Minolta L*	38.2 ± 0.44	40.2 ± 0.52	**
pH15 in LL	6.2 ± 0.04	6.2 ± 0.06	NS
pH24 in LL	5.5 ± 0.01	5.6 ± 0.01	***
pH48 in LL	5.5 ± 0.02	5.5 ± 0.03	NS
pH24 in the ham	5.6 ± 0.05	5.8 ± 0.07	**
EC24 (mS/cm)	12.4 ± 0.17	12.4 ± 0.20	NS
Free moisture, %	12.8 ± 1.56	16.2 ± 1.60	NS
Bound moisture,%	39.5 ± 1.48	41.6 ± 0.49	NS
Water content, %	72.2 ± 1.52	73.2 ± 1.06	NS
Protein content, %	23.4 ± 0.08	23.4 ± 0.07	NS
Fat content, %	2.0 ± 0.11	2.1 ± 0.11	NS
Collagen content, %	0.7 ± 0.02	0.8 ± 0.02	***

NS – Not significant, LL – Musculus longissimus lumborum.

^*p <0.05,

^**p <0.01,

^***p <0.001.