Meat Of Bulls Research Articles

Improvement of the Meat Quality of Holstein Bulls Fed a Diet Enriched with Oregano Oil

Beef is a dominant meat commodity produced mainly from beef cattle breeds. Dairy cattle breeds are reared for milk production, but their calves could be raised to produce high quality meat subject to designated feeding. The objective here was to investigate the role of oregano oil-enriched diets on the quality characteristics of meat produced by Holstein bulls. Fifty Holstein bulls, aged 12 ± 2 months and with an average weight of 365 ± 60 kg, were used. They were equally allocated in two experimental groups (n = 25). One group (group CON) was offered a basal diet and the other (group OREG) the same diet enriched with 50 mg/kg DM of oregano oil, for a period of 90 days. Afterwards, meat samples were subjected to microbiological (1 h after slaughter), physicochemical (1st and 15th day after slaughter), and sensory analyses (15th day after slaughter). The beef of group OREG is characterized with improved color parameters and a lower malondialdehyde (MDA) production rate and content (68.52 ng/g versus 105.91 ng/g, p = 0.01). The sensory evaluation of beef revealed higher scores for group OREG in flavor (3.88 versus 3.17, p = 0.0007) and color (3.87 versus 3.21, p = 0.001), as well as higher nutritional value, which was associated with significantly higher levels of alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, valine, and total amino acids (p < 0.05). Thus, the results suggest that the quality of the meat of Holstein bulls can be improved when they are fed a diet enriched with oregano oil.

Alteration of Cecal Microbiota by Antimicrobial Peptides Enhances the Rational and Efficient Utilization of Nutrients in Holstein Bulls.

We previously observed that supplementation with antimicrobial peptides facilitated the average daily weight gain, net meat, and carcass weights of Holstein bulls. To expand our knowledge of the possible impact of antimicrobial peptides on cecum microbiota, further investigations were conducted. In this study, 18 castrated Holstein bulls with insignificant weight differences and 10 months of age were split randomly into two groups. The control group (CK) was fed a basic diet, whereas the antimicrobial peptide group (AP) was supplemented with 8 g of antimicrobial peptides for 270 days. After slaughter, metagenomic and metabolomic sequencing analyses were performed on the cecum contents. The results showed significantly higher levels of amylase, cellulase, protease, and lipase in the CK than in the AP group (P ≤ 0.05). The levels of β-glucosidase and xylanase (P ≤ 0.05), and acetic and propionic acids (P ≤ 0.01), were considerably elevated in the AP than in the CK group. The metagenome showed variations between the two groups only at the bacterial level, and 3258 bacteria with differences were annotated. A total of 138 differential abundant genes (P < 0.05) were identified in the CAZyme map, with 65 genes more abundant in the cecum of the AP group and 48 genes more abundant in the cecum of the CK group. Metabolomic analysis identified 68 differentially expressed metabolites. Conjoint analysis of microorganisms and metabolites revealed that Lactobacillus had the greatest impact on metabolites in the AP group and Brumimicrobium in the CK group. The advantageous strains of the AP group Firmicutes bacterium CAG:110 exhibited a strong symbiotic relationship with urodeoxycholic acid and hyodeoxycholic acid. This study identified the classification characteristics, functions, metabolites, and interactions of cecal microbiota with metabolites that contribute to host growth performance. Antimicrobial peptides affect the cecal microorganisms, making the use of nutrients more efficient. The utilization of hemicellulose in the cecum of ruminants may contribute more than cellulose to their production performance.

From Shamans to Priests of Sekhmet: A Review of the Literature in Search for the Origins of Doctors in Ancient Egypt.

This review suggests that shamans were in charge of the healing process in pre-dynastic Egypt. After the unification of Lower and Upper Egypt by Narmer in 3100 BC, shamans evolved into the Sem priests, who were responsible for the king's health. With the change in Egyptian religion in the fourth dynasty (2613-2494 BC), Ra, the sun god, was revered as the supreme power, replacing the king. The emergence of mass festivities to celebrate Ra led to the priests of Sekhmet in the fifth dynasty (2494-2345 BC) checking the sanitation of bull meat that was provided to the populace in an attempt to avoid infectious epidemics. This seems to be the first recognition that disease might be transmitted from animals to humans. They used medical folklore, incantations, spells, and charms available at the House of Life, previously used by the lector priest. By 2487 BC, the first medical curative procedure was performed by Ni-Ankh-Sekhmet who cured the bleeding of a king's nose.

Химический состав и качественные показатели говядины бычков мясных пород

Purpose. To study the effect of the genotype of bulls on the chemical composition and commodity-technological parameters of beef. Materials and Methods. The object of research is 18–month-old crossbred bulls, obtained as a result of industrial crossing of Kazakh white-headed cattle bulls with heifers of Kalmyk breed (group I), Kazakh white-headed bulls with heifers of Hereford breed (group II) and Kazakh white-headed bulls with heifers of Aberdeen-Angus breed (group III). Purebred bulls of the Kazakh white-headed breed were used as a control group. The slaughter qualities of the experimental animals were determined by control slaughter of three bulls from each group. Chemical analysis of beef samples was carried out according to the following methods and GOST standards: moisture content was determined by drying the sample to a constant mass at a temperature of 100-105°C according to GOST 9793-2016; protein content – by the amount of protein nitrogen by the Kjeldahl method according to GOST 25011-2017; fat content – according to GOST 23042-2015; ash content – according to GOST 31727-2012; amino acid composition was determined according to the method of measuring the mass fraction of amino acids by the CE method on the Kapel-105M system, the concentration of hydrogen ions (pH) was determined according to GOST R 51478-99. Results. It was found that the highest slaughter qualities were possessed by crossbred bulls of the III experimental group. The highest dry matter content was in the average sample of meat of bulls of the III experimental group – 35.13%, which is 0.63% more than in the control; the difference in fat content was 0.23% in favor of the control group. In terms of protein content, the largest amount was recorded in the meat of bulls of the III experimental group – 20.07%, which is higher than in the samples of the control, I and II experimental groups, respectively, by 0.60, 0.84 and 0.77%. The protein-quality index in the samples ranged from 6.30 to 6.48. The pH value of the meat varied slightly – from 5.60 to 5.77. Conclusion. The conducted research has allowed us to establish that the industrial crossing of the Kazakh white-headed cattle with different meat breeds contributes to an increase in productivity, quality indicators, and the beef produced. This is explained by good compatibility of crossed breeds and high breed qualities of studied breeds.

Lipidome and metabolome profiling of longissimus lumborum beef with different ultimate pH and postmortem aging

The objective of this exploratory study was to assess the changes on lipidome and metabolome profiling of Longissimus lumborum bull muscle with different ultimate pH (pHu) and aging periods. The bull muscles classified as normal, intermediate, or high pHu were collected from a Brazilian commercial slaughterhouse, cut into steaks, individually vacuum-packaged, and aged for 3 days (3-d) or 21 days (21-d) at 2 °C. Muscle extracts were analyzed for the profiles of both lipids, by mass spectrometry (via direct flow-injection), and metabolites, by nuclear magnetic resonance, with downstream multivariate data analysis. As major results, pairwise comparisons identified C12:0 and C14:0 acylcarnitines as potential biomarkers of the intermediate pHu-muscle, which are related to lipid catabolism for alternative energy metabolism and indicate less protein breakage postmortem. Interestingly, the concentration of arginine at early postmortem aging (3-d) may influence the previously reported improved tenderness in normal and high pHu-muscles. Moreover, upregulation of fumarate, formate, and acetate with increased pHu muscle at 21-d aging indicate more intense tricarboxylic acid cycle, amino acid degradation, and pyruvate oxidation by reactive oxygen species, respectively. These three compounds (fumarate, formate, and acetate) discriminated statistically the muscle with high pHu at 21-d aging. The normal pHu-muscle showed higher concentrations of glycogenolysis and glycolysis metabolites, including glucose, mannose, and pyruvate. Hence, our results enhance knowledge of postmortem biochemical changes of beef within different pHu groups aged up to 21 days, which is essential to understand the mechanisms underpinning bull meat quality changes.

Influence of Transport Distance, Animal Weight, and Muscle Position on the Quality Factors of Meat of Young Bulls during the Summer Months

This study investigated the potential effects of transport distance, animal weight, and muscle position on meat quality in young bulls under commercial conditions across four slaughtering weeks during the summer months (May to September). Data on transport distance, lairage time, and ambient temperature during slaughtering days were collected from 80 young bulls from North German farms. Meat quality parameters, including pH, temperature, and meat color were also recorded at several post-mortem times from two different carcass locations (shoulder clod and silverside). Meat texture was evaluated both by sensory and instrumental analysis, and their values were compared to find possible correlations between them. All of the aforementioned main factors (transport distance, animal weight, and muscle position), as well as the interaction between animal weight and transport distance, significantly influenced (p &lt; 0.01) meat quality traits. The results of the assessment of the meat texture from the cooked meat patties suggested that silverside cuts were consistently harder than shoulder clod cuts, despite having lower pH48 values.

Carcass and meat characteristics of Nellore young bulls fed diet using cottonseed cake as a replacer of the forage fiber source

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of substituting traditional forage fiber sources with cottonseed cake in the diet on both the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of carcass and meat in Nelore young bulls. Twenty-four Nelore steers starting with an average weight of 377.8 ± 43.5 kg, were individually housed in stalls and provided with individualized feeding over a 112-day confinement period. The study followed a completely randomized design with two treatments and 12 replications. The diets incorporated either whole plant corn silage (WPCS) and, cottonseed cake (CSC) as fiber sources, at a rate of 300 g/kg of dry matter. The CSC diet promoted higher carcass weight. Aging animal meat for seven days significantly decreased the shear force from 83.4 to 71.6 N. Although diets did not influence meat composition, WPCS diet provided higher concentrations of C16:1, C18:1n9c, C18:3n3, and C22:2 acid, and CSC diet higher concentrations of C15:0, C18:1n9t, C18:2n6c, and 20:3n3. The WPCS diet provided higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids and ω9, and the CSC diet had higher concentrations of ω6 and ω6:ω3 ratio in meat. Cottonseed cake used as a fiber source increases the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids and ω6 fatty acids in the meat of young bulls finished in feedlot.

Morphological changes in the liver of bulls after the use of adaptogens

The paper presents the results of a study of the influence of adaptogens of plant and animal nature on the productive qualities of Kazakh white-headed bulls and morphological changes in their liver. 40 6-month-old beef bulls were selected for the study, which were divided into 4 groups: I (control) group of bulls consumed only the basic diet, II — adaptogen leucea safflower, III — drone homogenate, IV — pantocrine at the rate of 0.01 ml per 1 kg of animal body weight. At 18 months, a control slaughter of 3 animals from each group was carried out. During the experiment, it was found that the mass of the paired carcass in the bulls of the experimental groups increased by 11.1–21.7 kg (4.25–8.31%, р ≤ 0.05), the slaughter weight by 11.7–23.0 kg (4.24–8.34%, р ≤ 0.05–0.01), the slaughter yield by 0.9–1.9%. The analysis of the morphological composition of the carcass indicates an increase in the specific weight of its edible part of the carcass: by weight of muscle tissue by 4.0–7.7 kg (4.66–8.97%, р ≤ 0.05–0.01), fat — by 0.7–1.4 kg (4.67–9.33%, р ≤ 0.05). There is a high degree of maturity and high nutritional value of the meat of bulls of the experimental groups. Histological studies of the liver of bull calves indicate that when using tincture from drones, the liver structure corresponds to the norm, while in the control group animals some signs of dystrophic changes without pronounced infiltrations and signs of stagnation were found.

Improving the quality of beef and its use in the production of enriched minced semi-finished products

The possibility of obtaining finished products with stable quality indicators primarily depends on the composition and properties of the main raw materials used in the production of meat products. The production of high-quality meat raw materials is possible provided that the causes causing the appearance of defective meat are eliminated. In this regard, it has been proposed to use an adaptogen of animal nature - drone homogenate - as part of the feed ration when feeding bulls raised for meat. For the bulls of the experimental groups, drone homogenate was added to the main diet in the form of a tincture at the rate of 0.005 - 0.015 ml per 1 kg of body weight. It was experimentally established that its use contributed to a more enhanced synthesis of feed nutrients, which had a positive effect on the quantity and quality of meat products obtained. By the end of fattening, the young animals of the experimental groups were superior to their peers from the control group in terms of pre-slaughter weight by 9.0-13.6 kg, and in terms of slaughter yield - by 0.1-0.6 kg. The meat of bulls from the experimental groups had a higher nutritional value. The greatest effect was achieved when an adaptogen was included in the diet at a dosage of 0.01 ml per 1 kg of live weight. Subject to the feeding conditions, the resulting beef was used as the main raw material for the production of enriched semi-finished products. To add functionality to the meat product, iodocasein was added to the cutlet recipes. The use of semifinished products in the diet will satisfy the daily requirement for iodine for adults by 12.67%, for school-age children by 15.83% and for children of primary school age by 21.11%.

The effect of succinate on color stability of Bos indicus bull meat: pH-dependent effects during the 14-day aging period

Bos taurus indicus bulls are very susceptible to pre-slaughter stress, which directly impacts the decline in muscle pH, leading to darker meat. The aim was to investigate the effect of succinate and atmosphere on the color stability of Nellore (Bos taurus indicus) Longissimus lumborum steaks classified by ultimate pH (pHu): normal pHu (5.40 ≤ pHu ≤ 5.79) and high pHu (pHu ≥ 5.80). The experimental treatment systems were: (i) vacuum packaging without succinate injection, (ii) HiOx-MAP (80 % O2 + 20 % CO2), and (iii) HiOx-MAP (80 % O2 + 20 % CO2) enhanced with sodium succinate injection (pH 5.4). Steaks from all treatment systems were stored at 4 °C for 14 days and tested for instrumental color, myoglobin content, oxygen consumption (OC), metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), lipid oxidation, and microbiological analysis. High and normal pHu vacuum-packaged steaks exhibited greater color stability due to higher MRA. High and normal pHu steaks packaged with HiOx-MAP or HiOx-MAP enhanced with succinate showed improved color due to lower deoxymyoglobin content (%DMb) and OC up to the eighth day of storage. Still, succinate injection promoted increased (P < 0.05) lipid oxidation in normal pHu steaks and reduced MRA after 14 days. These findings emphasize the intricate interplay between pHu and packaging systems on Bos taurus indicus meat quality. Further research in this area could contribute to a better understanding of meat color abnormalities and provide insights into potential meat preservation and enhancement strategies.

Effects of Silage Type and Feeding Intensity on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Finishing Holstein-Friesian Bulls.

The study aimed at evaluating the influence of silage type (grass silage-GS, and maize silage-MS) and energy level in the feed portion on animals' performance, carcass value and the quality of Holstein-Friesian bull meat. The animals were reared using intensive (I) feeding, 1.02 feed units for meat production (UFV)/kg dry matter (DM), and semi-intensive (SI) feeding, 0.94 UFV/kg DM. Thirty-two HF bulls with an average live weight of 530 kg were assigned to four feeding groups. The proportions (g/kg DM) of feed in the diets were as follows: group GS-I, GS 500, concentrate 500; group GS-SI, GS 700, concentrate 300; group MS-I, MS 500, concentrate 500; and group MS-SI, MS 700, concentrate 300. After 4 months of the finishing phase, bulls were slaughtered and samples of the longissimus lumborum muscle were collected. The silage type did not affect performance, carcass value or meat quality. However, in the intensive feeding, a 33% increase (p < 0.01) in daily weight gain and a reduction in the feed conversion ratio compared to semi-intensive feeding were noted. The carcasses of bulls fed intensively received higher scores for conformation and fatness than the carcasses of bulls fed semi-intensively. The meat of I group bulls had a higher intramuscular fat content and received higher juiciness, tenderness, taste and overall acceptability scores.

Effect of age and sexual condition on the fatty acid profile of intramuscular fat of cattle finished in feedlot

The objective of this study was to evaluate the fatty acid (FA) profile of intramuscular fat of cattle of two categories (16 or 26 months old) and two sexual conditions (Bulls or Steers) finished in feedlot. A total of 32 castrated (n=16) or noncastrated (n=16) animals of the genetic groups ½Purunã + ½Canchim were used. The animals were finished in feedlot, receiving a diet with 50% roughage and 50% concentrated feed. After the slaughter, one Longissimus dorsi sample from each animal was sent to the laboratory for FA profile analyses. The FA content of C17:0 iso and C18:0 was higher for animals slaughtered at 26 months. Lignoceric acid (C24:0) showed a higher content for animals aged 16 months. Animals slaughtered at 16 months showed higher C18:1 cis 11, C18:1 cis 12, C18:1 cis 15, and lower C18:1 trans 16 than those slaughtered at 26 months. The C20:4 and C22:5 were lower as the animals' slaughter age increased. The unsaturated/saturated and polyunsaturated/saturated ratios showed no difference for slaughter age. The concentrations of C24:0, C18:1 trans 10, C18:1 cis 11, C18:1 cis 12, and C22:1 were greater in the meat of bulls than in steers. Bulls had a higher content of polyunsaturated FAs and polyunsaturated/saturated ratio than steers.

Differences in toughness and aging potential of longissimus lumborum muscles between Hanwoo cow, bull and steer.

Thirty Hanwoo cattle including bulls, cows, and steers (n = 10 each) were slaughtered and investigated for carcass traits (weight, meat color, fat color, yield index, maturity, marbling score, back-fat thickness, and firmness) and meat quality. The meat quality such as: pH, color, cooking loss, fatty acid, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, warner-bratzler shear force, tensile tests, and texture profiles were analyzed on longissimus lumborum (LL) muscles of the carcasses at different aging times (3 d and 21 d). The results showed that steers and cows had higher back-fat thickness and marbling score, and a lower firmness (p < 0.001) than bulls. Bulls exhibited a lower meat quality indicating by higher cooking loss, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content, warner-bratzler shear force and tensile test values (p < 0.01). Regarding the sensory property, the bull meat also had higher hardness, and lower tenderness, juiciness and flavor scores than the cow or steer meat (p < 0.01). Additionally, the bull meat had a higher polyunsaturated fatty acid and a lower monounsaturated fatty acid contents (p < 0.01). With increased aging time, the meat tenderness was improved in all the genders. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that the gender and aging time affected the carcass traits, fatty acid and sensory quality of beef. Postmortem aging could improve the meat tenderness of all genders especially bulls.

Животные в погребально-поминальном обряде скифов левобережья Нижнего ДнестраV—IV вв. до н. э.

This paper presents the results of a study of animal bones from Scythian burials of the second half of the 5th—4th century BC from the cemeteries “Vodovod” and “Garden” near the Glinoe village, Slobodzeya district, on the left bank of the Lower Dniester. The Scythians more often used bull meat (39.2%), a little less often — meat of small cattle (37.3%), and much less often — horse meat (19.6%) as sacrificial food. Horse meat and the hip cut of the carcass of a bull are more often marked in the graves of men; the shoulder — shoulder part of the carcass of a domestic bull were put in the graves of children and women. The vast majority of children’s burials were accompanied by the meat of small cattle, mainly sheep. The use of goat meat as sacrificial food is obviously a distinctive feature of the population that created the cemeteries Glinoe/Vodovod and Glinoe/Garden in the second half of the 5th—4th century BC. The lower boundary of the separation of the anterior and posterior shanks in the carcasses of horses, bulls and small cattle obviously passed along the distal row of wrist and tarsal bones, what can be considered a characteristic feature of the funerary rite of the Scythians in the 5th—4th centuries BC. It is noted that the kind of animal and part of the carcass used as sacrificial food are associated with the sex and age of the buried. It is shown that data on the age of cattle and small cattle, as well as horses slaughtered for use as sacrificial food, can be used to determine the time of year when the burials were made.

Effects of Slaughter Age of Holstein Friesian Bulls on Meat Quality: Chemical Composition, Textural Characteristics, Sensory Attributes and Fatty Acid Profile.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of slaughter age (young vs. old), muscle type (Longissimus dorsi (LD), Gluteus medius (GM)) and fat deposits (kidney knob and channel fat, subcutaneous fat, intramuscular fat) on chemical, organoleptic, textural characteristics and fatty acid composition of Holstein Friesian bull meat. For this purpose, the carcasses of 26 Holstein Friesian bulls that had been fattened on the same private farm were assigned to two experimental groups based on their age at slaughter: a young group (YG) (average age: 17.0 ± 1.0 months old) and an old group (OG) (average age: 22.0 ± 1.0 months old). The percentage of crude protein, panel tenderness score, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and saturated fatty acid (SFA) content, the PUFA/SFA ratio and the hypocholesterolemic fatty acid (DFA)/hypercholesterolemic fatty acid (OFA) ratio of the bull carcasses decreased significantly with increasing slaughter age. By contrast, the OFA content of the carcasses significantly increased (p < 0.05) with increasing slaughter age. Advanced slaughter age resulted in lower panel tenderness scores. Additionally, the meat of the bulls in the OG was considered to be less healthy because of the less desirable fatty acid composition and nutritional indices, such as the PUFA/SFA and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratios, compared to the meat from the bulls in the YG. Furthermore, the intramuscular fat and internal fat contained high percentages of PUFA and SFA and high PUFA/SFA and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratios. Interestingly, the percentage of OFA content in the internal and intramuscular fat tissues decreased with increasing slaughter age. In conclusion, this study provided evidence that slaughter age and muscle and fat type are essential sources of variations in the textural characteristics, sensory panel attributes and fatty acid profile of meat from Holstein Friesian bulls.

Assessment of the effect of pre-slaughter fasting period of young bulls on the qualitative characteristics of meat

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of the technological operation “pre-slaughter fasting period” on the qualitative characteristics of the meat of young bulls. The studies were carried out in two groups of Ayrshire bulls of 18 months of age, with a live weight of 435 ± 3.25 kg: I (n = 10) – slaughter without fasting period at the slaughter station, II (n = 10) – slaughter with 24-hour fasting period at the slaughter station. The total distance from the farm to the animal weighing and slaughter station was 97 km, and the travel time was 1 hour 43 minutes. The ambient temperature at the time of transportation was minus 13-15 °C, air humidity was 79 %, wind speed was 6 m/s. It has been established that the technological operation in the form of fasting period during 24 hours after transportation affected the qualitative indicators of the longissimus dorsi muscle, namely, there increased: the dry matter content by 2.45 %, protein – by 2.64 %, glycogen concentration – by 38.9 %, moisture capacity – by 11.01 %, oleic fatty acid – by 2.65 % with a decrease in moisture content – by 2.48 %, pH – by 3.5 %, myristic fatty acid by 0.95 %, palmitoleic acid – by 0.42 %, stearic acid – by 1.35 % compared to the group of bulls without fasting period. Thus, pre-slaughter 24-hour fasting period of young bulls improves the qualitative characteristics of meat compared to animals slaughtered without it.

The importance of the feeding levels and adequacy on the meat quality and productivity performance of cross-bred bulls

The study aimed to determine the effect of the level and adequacy of feeding on the dynamics of live weight and meat productivity of Simmental × Holstein bulls with a close blood relationship (87.5%) for the Holstein breed. Three groups of bulls with 87.5% Holstein heredity in the genotype were formed, out of which two groups were experimental and one group served as a control group. The bulls of the control group received a diet compiled according to detailed standards, and their analogs from the experimental groups had a diet exceeding the norm by 10 and 20% respectively. During the entire growing period, the bulls of the 1st experimental group consumed 3,564 energetic feed units and 362.5 kg of digestible protein, the 2nd consumed 3,875 and 394.3 kg, and the control group 3,245 and 329.9 kg, respectively. In terms of carcass yield, bulls of the first and second experimental groups outperformed the ones from the control group by 2.41 and 3.92%. With an increase in the level of feeding in experimental bulls, fat deposition accelerated; thus, the meat of bulls of the experimental groups contained 2.13% and 2.54% more fat than in animals of the control group. At the same time, the protein content in the meat of experimental bulls decreased by 0.15 and 0.22% in comparison with the control group. The energy value of 1 kg of meat of experimental bulls was higher by 0.77-0.90 MJ. It can be concluded that a possible increase in the meat productivity of bulls-crossbreeds of the Holstein breed with a close blood relationship and the determination of planned indicators of animal growth should be taken into account when developing breeding programs.

Some parameters of the interior and productivity of young beef cattle

The paper presents the study results of the indicators of individual development of Ukrainian gray, Ukrainian meat, and light Aquitaine breeds, biochemical indicators of blood serum, and also calculated the level of correlations between traits. The research was carried out at the State Enterprise “Experimental Farm “Polyvanivka” and the Animal Husbandry Laboratory of the State Institution “Institute of Grain Crops of the National Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, as well as the testing center of the Institute of Animal Husbandry of the National Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The work was carried out following the program of scientific research No. 31, “Genetic improvement of agricultural animals, their reproduction and preservation of biodiversity. (Genetics, preservation, and reproduction of biological resources in animal husbandry)”, the task “To identify population-genetic regularities of the biological diversity of the isolated gene pool of the autochthonous gray Ukrainian breed of cattle”. The evaluation of young cattle of the specified breeds was carried out taking into account the following indicators: live weight at the time of birth, at the age of 6 and 12 months, average daily increase in live weight for the following periods: time of birth – 6 months, 6 months – 12 months. The “formation intensity” index was calculated according to this method of Yu. K. Svichin (1985), biometric processing of the research results – according to the methods of V. P. Kovalenko and others. (2010), S. S. Kramarenko and others. (2019). Total protein content, the activity of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase were studied in blood serum. It has been established that the biochemical parameters of blood serum in bulls of Ukrainian gray, Ukrainian meat, and light Aquitaine breeds correspond to the physiological norm of clinically healthy animals. According to the indicators of the live weight of Ukrainian gray, Ukrainian meat, and light Aquitaine breeds of bulls at the age of 12 months, the minimum requirements of the elite class prevail by 2.2–4.8 %; at the age of 6 months, this indicator ranges from -3.8 (gray Ukrainian bulls) to +7.2 % (light Aquitan bulls). The average daily gain in live weight in animals of the studied breeds during the period of rearing from birth to 6 months of age and from birth to 12 months of age varies from 830.1 to 1052.4 g. The “formation intensity” index of Ukrainian Gray Bulls is 0.899 ± 0.0210, Ukrainian meat – 0.961 ± 0.0393 and light Aquitaine – 1.008 ± 0.0417 points. The coefficients of phenotypic consolidation of gray Ukrainian, Ukrainian meat, and light Aquitaine bulls vary from +0.241 (K1, live weight of Ukrainian beef bulls at birth) to +0.838 (K2, live weight of light Aquitan bulls at 12 months of age ). The coefficient of pairwise correlation between biochemical parameters of blood serum and live weight of Ukrainian gray, Ukrainian meat, and light Aquitaine breeds ranges from –0.921 ± 0.1377 to +0.738 ± 0.2384. This indicates the possibility of using total protein content, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase activity for the early prediction of the live weight of animals of the studied genotypes.

Impact of Kosher Slaughter Methods of Heifers and Young Bulls on Physical and Chemical Properties of Their Meat.

This work aimed to comprehensively analyze the factors (slaughter method, gender, and muscle type) that determine the kosher status of beef and assess their influence on the selected quality characteristics of raw meat. The muscles were obtained from 40 carcasses of heifers and 40 carcasses of young bulls. In the first stage of the experiment, pH values were measured. The water, protein, fat, minerals, and collagen contents were determined. Then, the shear force, forced drip, and thermal drip were measured. The experimental results indicated that all the investigated parameters have an impact on the final quality of beef. Statistically significantly lower pH1 values were noticed in the longissimus thoracic muscle of young bulls obtained through kosher slaughter methods. However, 24 and 48 h after slaughter, higher pH values were observed in the meat of young bulls obtained by the kosher slaughter method, where the meat samples were subjected to kosher treatment. The koshering process (salting and washing) resulted in a significant reduction in both forced and thermal drip values of the meat sample, but this decrease was not affected by gender.

Effect of Dietary Palm Kernel Oil on the Quality, Fatty Acid Profile, and Sensorial Attributes of Young Bull Meat.

Lipid supplementation through vegetable oils in diets for ruminants can be a nutritional strategy to increase energy density, manipulate ruminal fermentation and change the physicochemical composition and sensorial properties of meat. This study evaluated the optimal dietary inclusion of palm kernel oil (PKO) for Nellore bulls on meat quality. The diets consisted of 0.0, 11.5, 23.0, and 34.6 g/kg dry matter (DM) PKO levels. PKO inclusion did not influence the centesimal composition, pH, color indices, water holding capacity, cooking loss, or shear force of the beef. There were linear increases in the concentrations of lauric acid (C12:0) and myristic acid (C14:0) in the bull’s meat. However, palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:0), vaccenic acid (t-11–C18:1) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), ∑n − 6, ∑n − 3, ∑n − 6/∑n 3, the hypocholesterolemic: hypercholesterolemic ratio of the fatty acid content, and the thrombogenicity index were not affected. There were linear reductions in the oleic acid meat concentration (c-9–C18:1) and elongated enzymatic activity when PKO was added to the bull diet. The atherogenicity index increased linearly due to PKO inclusion in the bull diet. No effect of the inclusion of PKO on meat flavor, perception of tenderness, juiciness, or global acceptance from the sensorial evaluation was recorded. The inclusion of PKO up to 34.6 g/kg DM can be recommended to supplement young bulls with no effects on meat composition and quality characteristics.