Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of phosphorus (P) supplementation on the intake, digestibility, and quality of aged meat from Nellore young bulls fed on high-grain diets finished in feedlot. Forty young bulls (30 months old) with an initial body weight (IBW) of 296 ± 25 kg were used. It was distributed in a completely randomized experimental design. The treatments were: without P supplementation (CO), commercial mineral supplement (CM), and supplementation with dicalcium phosphate (DP) with 2.4, 4.2, or 5.0 g of P per kg of dry matter (DM), respectively. Diets were composed of sugarcane bagasse (200 g kg-1) plus concentrate (800 g kg-1) on a dry matter (DM) basis. The meat quality parameters analyzed were pH, color, cooking losses, shear force, and water-holding capacity. P supplementation did not affect the intake and digestibility of nutrients There was no interaction (p > 0.05%) between diets and the aging time for the meat quality parameters. However, bulls fed with DP exhibited lower pH (5.98) compared to CO and CM (6.19 and 6.14, respectively). The longer aging time increased the cooking losses and intensity of yellow (b*). Under Brazilian conditions, feedlot Nellore cattle fed with high-grain diets do not require additional mineral supplements.
Highlights
The demand for sustainable beef cattle production has increased the number of cattle experiments with the goal of obtaining the minimum amount of inputs that are needed for animal production (Zanetti et al, 2017)
CO – Control diet (2.4 g phosphorus (P) kg-1); commercial mineral supplement (CM) – commercial mineral mix (4.2 g P kg-1); DP – dicalcium phosphate (5.0 g P kg-1); aNDF, neutral detergent fibre assayed with a heat stable amylase and expressed inclusive of residual ash; s.e.m., standard error of the mean; Means with a different letter in rows are significantly differ by Tukey test
Phosphorus supplementation did not influence (p > 0.05) the variables related to shear force (SF), water holding capacity (WHC), cooking losses (CKL), or color (L*, a*, and b*)
Summary
The demand for sustainable beef cattle production has increased the number of cattle experiments with the goal of obtaining the minimum amount of inputs that are needed for animal production (Zanetti et al, 2017). Phosphorus (P) has nutritional, environmental and economic importance because of its high cost and potential for soil and water contamination (Souza, Malafaia, Vieira, Granja-Salcedo, & Berchielli, 2018). In this context, the rational use of phosphorus sources is needed, since this mineral is expensive and exhaustible. Phosphorus is involved with growth, the formation of membrane phospholipids and nucleic acid compounds (DNA and RNA). It has significant importance muscle energy load, calcium action in muscles, and has an impact on meat quality (Ternouth, 1990). There is currently a lack of available information in the
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.