Impact of Dietary Supranutritional Selenium on Improving the Meat Quality of Goats

Abstract

Selenium (Se) a crucial micronutrient, is required in many biochemical processes in animals. Supranutritional levels of Se in the diet have been suggested to potentially enhance meat quality in livestock. However, limited research exists on the impact of dietary supranutritional Se on meat quality in goats. Objective: To evaluate the influence of dietary supranutritional Se on goat muscle meat quality, examining pH, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking and drip losses, moisture, protein, fat, ash, and glycogen contents. Methods: Sixteen male goats were randomly grouped into two viz., A and B (n = 8 per group) and offered basal diets without (group A) or with addition of Se (group B) for 10 weeks. Meat samples were collected from the longissimus dorsi (LD) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles at the completion of trial and the physico-chemical characteristics were determined. Results: Supranutritional Se supplementation resulted in significantly higher (P < 0.05) WHC and lower (P < 0.05) cooking and drip losses in both LD and SM muscles compared with control. Additionally, the protein and fat contents were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) and the ash contents lowered (P < 0.05) in both LD and SM muscles of goats fed Se supplemented diet compared with control. However, the pH and glycogen contents were not altered (P > 0.05) between the two groups. Conclusions: The findings of present trial demonstrated that supranutritional Se supplementation improved the quality of goat meat, contributing to its nutritional value and consumer acceptance.