Abstract
A 97-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary chromium methionine (CrMet) on performance, carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid profiles of fat, tissue chromium concentrations, and antioxidant status in growing-finishing pigs. A total of 180 crossbred pigs with a mean initial body weight (BW) 30.18 ± 0.28kg were allotted to 5 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 6 pigs per pen in a randomized complete block design based on BW and sex. Treatments were added with 0 (control), 100, 200, 400, and 800μg/kg chromium as CrMet. Blood samples were obtained from the anterior vena cava on days 97. Carcass characteristics, pork quality, and tissue chromium concentration data were collected from one pig per pen. The results indicated that supplemental CrMet did not significantly affect growth performance, carcass traits, or meat amino acid profiles. Chromium at 100, 400, and 800μg/kg decreased drip loss but increased shear force (P < 0.05). Pigs fed 100 or 400μg/kg had a higher 24-h pH than the control (P < 0.05). While meat color, muscle moisture, crude protein, or crude fat were not affected by CrMet. Supplemental 800μg/kg chromium reduced C18:0 levels in belly fat (P < 0.05), and chromium supplementation increased cis-9, trans 11-conjugated linoleic acid levels linearly (P < 0.05). Dietary CrMet supplementation increased serum, kidney, and muscle chromium contents (P < 0.05) but did not affect liver chromium contents. Besides, tissue chromium concentrations were increased linearly with increased chromium dosage (P < 0.05). Chromium at 400μg/kg increased serum glutathione peroxidase activities (P < 0.05), and chromium at 800μg/kg decreased serum total antioxidant capacity levels (P < 0.05). Nevertheless, liver and kidney antioxidant status were not significantly affected by CrMet. These results indicated that dietary supplementation CrMet did not significantly influence growth and carcass traits, but improved meat quality at the expense of tenderness. Therefore, the long-term exposure to 800μg/kg chromium affected fatty acid compositions and reduced serum antioxidant capacity.
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