205 Bulletin UASVM Animal Science and Biotechnologies 70(2)/2013, 205-213 Print ISSN 1843-5262; Electronic ISSN 1843-536X Effect of the Dietary By-Product Camelina Meal on Performances and Carcass Quality of TOPIGS Pigs Nicoleta CIUCĂ (LEFTER) 1) , D. DRĂGOTOIU 1) , A. GHEORGHE 2) , G. CIURESCU 2) , Mihaela HĂBEANU 2) 1) University of Agronomic Science and Veterinary Medicine, 59 Marasti Blvd., 011464 Bucharest, Romania; ciuca_nicoleta@yahoo.com 2) National Research-Development Institute for Animal Biology and Nutrition, 1 Bucuresti Road, 077015 Balotesti, Romania; mihaela.habeanu@ibna.ro Abstract. Camelina meal (CM) is a new and valuable by-product for finishing pigs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of replacing sunflower meal (SM) with a C18:3-n3-rich by- product, CM on the performances (body weight, BW; feed intake, FI; average daily gain, ADG, feed efficiency, FE), carcass quality (fat thickness, FT; eye muscle area, EMA; lean meat proportion in carcass (LMP, on live and slaughter animals) and classes of quality (CC) in fattening TOPIGS pigs. The fattening TOPIGS pigs (N=22; 68.45 kg ± 3.83, average weight) were assigned into 2 groups (C and E1). Group C received a compound feed with 12% sunflower meal, group E1 received the same compound feed but the sunflower meal was replaced by 12% CM, during 33 days. Fat thickness, EMA and LMP were assess on live animals using ultrasonic equipment PIGLOG 105. Animal performances such as: final average body weight (C-98.00 kg; E1-95.10 kg), FI (C-3.31 kg/day; E1-3.03 kg/day), ADG (C-0.866 kg/day; E1-0.836 kg/day) and FE (C-3.82 kg/kg; E1-3.62 kg/kg) weren’t significantly affected (P>0.05) by CM. Fat thickness decreased (-23%, P<0.05), whilst EMA and LMP increased (+1%, P>0.05; + 6%, P<0.05) in the E1 group comparing to C group. Both trial groups were included in E classes according to EUROP system. In the present research work, we demonstrated that feeding finishing pigs with CM improved their quality carcass with possible benefits for human nutrition. To obtain more favorable results concerning bio-productive performances lower levels of CM inclusion are recommended. Keywords: Camelina meal, by-product, performances, carcass quality, pigs INTRODUCTION In the last decade, pork production has facing new challenges, dictated firstly by consumer needs and demands which have focused the production towards linear and healthier meats (Alonso et al., 2012) and secondly by the availability and suitability of feedstuffs. Thus, the meat producers must adapt to this trend by supplying a broad range of products with high feeding value and at affordable prices. Such an approach is also necessary due to the major changes in the structure of animal tissues due to modern genetics, growth and feeding (Sinclair et al., 2010), which lead to the substantial decrease of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly of those beneficial to the human health (>22 carbon atoms), while increasing the proportion of n-6 PUFA (Simopoulos, 2002; Wood et al., 1998) which caused nutritional n-6/n-3 PUFA misbalance (>15:1 ratio in modern diets vs. <4:1 the optimal ratio; Simopoulos, 2002; Wood et al., 1998; Yuriko et al., 2010). One of the most commune strategies used is replacing the dietary fat sources, from saturated or unsaturated fats sources with more unsaturated fats from vegetable seeds or by- products rich in healthier oils (n-3 fatty acids).