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Abstract
This study was carried out to validate the inclusion of up to 750g/kg of mesquite pod (Prosopis juliflora) meal in the diet and evaluate the effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality for lambs finished in pasture. Forty male, non-castrated, crossbred Santa Inês lambs, with an initial body weight (24.2 ± 3.1kg), and approximately 120days old were used. The animals were kept in a total area of 4ha, divided in four paddocks of 0.62ha each (10 animals/paddocks), on pastures of Massai (Panicum maximum cv. Massai) with drinkers and feeders during the finishing phase. Dietary treatments based on mesquite pod meal inclusion levels (g/kg of dry matter): CON, without mesquite pod meal; MPM25, 250g/kg of mesquite pod meal; MPM50, 500g/kg of mesquite pod meal; and MPM75, 750g/kg of mesquite pod meal. No treatment effect were detected (P > 0.05) for carcass measures, carcass characteristics, chemical composition of longissimus thoracis muscle, tissue composition, and lipid oxidation. Lamb meat color values, such as lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*), were not affected (P > 0.05) by mesquite pod meal inclusion on the diets, whereas for redness (a*), HUE-angle, and chroma were influenced (P < 0.05). Palmitic acid had a quadratic effect, while oleic acid, eicosatrienoic acid, saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and PUFA:SFA had a linear course (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the mesquite pod meal can be used as an energy feed source up to 750g/kg of dry matter in the diet, without changing the carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs finished in pasture.
Highlights
Sheep meat production in Brazil has grown in the last ten years, as well as the demand for animal protein in the country's large urban centers; due to population growth, increased purchasing power of the population, and change in eating habits (FAO, 2012)
When considering the chemical composition and requirement to evaluate the potential of mesquite pod meal in the sheep diet kept in pasture on carcass characteristics and meat quality, the objective was to determine the best level of corn replacement in the diet
The similarity in the results for carcass measurements is associated with animals’ homogeneity at the beginning of experiment until the slaughter period. These characteristics are directly related to slaughter weight, animal genotype, and the diet indirectly influences carcass measurements. (Bonvillani et al, 2010)
Summary
Sheep meat production in Brazil has grown in the last ten years, as well as the demand for animal protein in the country's large urban centers; due to population growth, increased purchasing power of the population, and change in eating habits (FAO, 2012) This growing demand for healthy products, antibiotic free, care for animal welfare, a product of higher quality, promotes the sheep meat chain to search alternatives that can meet the needs of consumers, without affecting animal productivity with a less impact on the environment, in addition to reducing production costs. Another positive point to be considered in this feed is presence of alkaloids in its composition, a substance that inhibits the growth of ruminal gram-positive bacteria, which are responsible for production of gases such as CO2 and methane, in addition to promoting better animal performance and better quality of products obtained from these animals (Mazzuca et al, 2003; Nakano et al, 2004; Singh et al, 2011).
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