Good Meat Quality Research Articles

Comparison of a Plantain-Chicory Mixture with a Grass Permanent Sward on the Live Weight Gain and Meat Quality of Lambs.

Simple SummaryIn southern Chile, lamb production systems are based on the grazing of temperate swards. During late spring and early summer, grass-based swards can display herbage with suboptimal growth and quality, reducing lamb production. Plantain and chicory are alternative herbages that improve animal performance, especially in periods with a risk of water deficits. This study was carried out during late spring, to evaluate live weight gain and meat quality in lambs grazing on plantain-chicory sward or grass-based permanent sward. The results show that lambs fed with herbs (plantain-chicory) have a similar final live weight, carcass weight and meat quality to those fed with grass. Plantain and chicory swards are good form of alternative herbage for finishing lambs in late spring to maintain the performance of the animals.Under the predicted conditions of climate change, the productivity of temperate grasslands may be affected by drought stress, especially in spring and summer. In this scenario, water-deficit-tolerant species such as plantain and chicory are interesting alternatives for use in sheep production systems. In this study, we compared a mixture of plantain and chicory herbage (PCH) with a grass-based permanent sward (GBS) on the weight gain and meat quality of lambs finished on these grasslands. Fifteen weaned lambs (31.3 kg and 4 months of age) were assigned to each treatment for seven weeks in late spring and live weight gain (LWG), carcass and meat quality were evaluated. There was a tendency (p = 0.09) in final weight (40.3 ± 0.8 kg) and live weight gain (173 ± 10 g/d) to be higher in PCH compared to GBS. Carcass weight, dressing percentage and meat quality in terms of pH, color and tenderness did not differ (p > 0.05) and were considered to be of good quality. We concluded that both swards result in comparable lamb performance and good meat quality.

SLAUGHTER QUALITIES AND BIOLOGICAL VALUE OF RABBIT MEAT FOR FEEDING VITAMIN-MINERAL SUPPLEMENT «TEKRO»

The problem of complete mineral and vitamin nutrition in rabbit breeding is relevant today, despite new discoveries, and research in this direction continues both in Ukraine and around the world. The paper presents experimental data from the results of research to study the effect of different doses of vitamin and mineral supplement "Tekro" in the diets of young rabbits on their productivity, slaughter quality and biological value of rabbit meat. The obtained data of body growth, massometric indicators of carcasses and internal organs of rabbits of experimental groups after slaughter indicate a positive effect of vitamin-mineral supplement "Tekro" on the intensity of development of the body and individual internal organs, which contributes to increased metabolic processes and weight gain in animals research groups. Feeding vitamin and mineral supplements to rabbits of experimental groups of the New Zealand breed for 45 days contributed to a better transformation of feed nutrients into products. In rabbits of the 3rd experimental group, which together with basic ration were fed 3.5 % of the premix "Tekro" at 90 days of age, the highest rates of body weight were recorded, which differed by 8.89 % compared to the control group. In a set of indicators that characterize the nutritional value of rabbit meat, we studied sensory indicators that characterize the quality of rabbit meat: taste, color, pH, juiciness, moisture content, elasticity, aroma, "marbling", etc. It was found that in the appearance of carcasses and muscles in the control group, the samples scored 8.4 points. In the 3-rd and 4-th experimental groups, the number of points on this indicator was higher by 1.2 %. The difference was a trend. Examining the aroma of meat, it was found that in the control of this indicator, the samples scored 7.8 points. In meat samples from experimental groups 3 and 4, the aroma was more identical to natural, so the samples received 2.6 % higher scores. Samples from 3 experimental groups scored the most points in terms of taste. Compared with the control, the figure was higher by 3.6 %. Examining the juiciness of rabbit meat, it was found that samples obtained from carcasses 2 and 3 of the experimental group tended to increase this indicator. Summing up the data, it was found that the highest overall score was found in meat samples from 3 experimental groups. The difference with the control was within the trend and amounted to 2.4 %. Feeding rabbits vitamin and mineral supplements to rabbits helps to obtain good quality meat products with high culinary properties. No data were available to support the effect of vitamin and mineral supplements on compound feed on the synthesis of toxic substances in muscle tissue or the deterioration of rabbit meat. The biological value of muscle samples from rabbits of the 2-nd experimental group did not differ from the control data. The increase was only 0.11 %. It was found that the biological value of muscle tissue from animals of the 4th experimental group was greater than in the control. The difference was 2.6 % Meat obtained from rabbits of the 3rd experimental group, which were fed compound feed with a content of mineral-vitamin supplement "Tekro" 3.5 %, in biological value outweighed the control indicators. The difference was not significant and amounted to 4.1 %. The use of different doses of vitamin and mineral supplements in the feed of young rabbits did not lead to significant changes in the quality of raw hides and furs.

The way of value of Correlation of genomic DNA microsatellite loci and live weight of Chukchi reindeer

The article presents the genetic characteristic of the Chukchi reindeer breed. The object of the study was of the Chukchi reindeer. In recent years, the number of reindeer of the Chukchi breed has declined sharply. Reduced reindeer numbers could lead to biodiversity loss. The Chukchi breed of deer has good meat qualities, has high germination viability and is adapted in adverse tundra conditions of Yakutia. Herding of the Chukchi breed of deer in Yakutia are engaged only in the Nizhnekolymsky district. There are four generic communities and the largest of which is the agricultural production cooperative of nomadic tribal community «Turvaurgin», which was chosen to assess the genetic processes of breed using microsatellite markers: Rt6, BMS1788, Rt 30, Rt1, Rt9, FCB193, Rt7, BMS745, C 143, Rt24, OheQ, C217, C32, NVHRT16, T40, C276. It was found that microsatellite markers have a wide range of alleles and generally have a high informative value for identifying of genetic differences between animals and groups of animal. The number of identified alleles is one of the indicators of the genetic diversity of the population. The total number of detected alleles was 127. The Chukchi breed of deer is characterized by a high level of heterozygosity, and the random crossing system prevails over inbreeding in the population. On average, there were 7.9 alleles (Na) per locus, and the mean number of effective alleles (Ne) was 4.1. The index of fixation averaged 0.001. The polymorphism index (PIC) ranged from 0.217 to 0.946, with an average of 0.695.

Growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and chemical composition of the Shaziling pig and its crossbreeds

The Shaziling pig, an indigenous breed reared in Hunan province in China, is characterized by good meat quality and strong ability of resistance for general diseases. The objective of this study was to compare properties of growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and chemical composition among purebred Shaziling, Berkshire, Yorkshire pigs and their crossbreeds Yorkshire × (Berkshire × Shaziling) (Y × (B × S)), Berkshire × (Yorkshire × Shaziling) (B × (Y × S)) pigs. The results showed that Shaziling pigs had lower average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.01) and higher ratio of Feed/Gain (P < 0.01) than other groups. In contrast, the crossbreeds Y × (B × S) and B × (Y × S) both exhibited faster growth rate and superior carcass characteristics. In particular, the growth performance and carcass traits of Y × (B × S) pigs were very close to the lean-type Berkshire and Yorkshire pigs, including ADG, dressing percentage, loin-eye area and lean percentage. Meanwhile, the parameters associated with meat quality were assigned a normal quality class in all breeds, such as pH, meat color, and drip loss. Furthermore, both crossbreeds had desirable chemical composition, as demonstrated by moderate IMF and abundant mineral elements, SFAs, MUFAs, EAAs, and FAAs. Taken together, the crossbreed of Y × (B × S) is preferably suited for commercial production to provide high tasted quality niche products.

Effects of Probiotic (Lactobacillus spp) Mixed with Cassava Leaves (Manihot esculenta) on Growth Performances and Meat Quality of Cherry Valley Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus)

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that had been used in poultry industry as alternative sources for antibiotic. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of probiotic mixed with cassava leaves (Manihot esculenta) on Cherry Valley Duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality. Lactobacillus spp. was used in this experiment to see its effectiveness in enhancing quality of cassava leaves as potential feed towards optimum growth performance of ducks like body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio, carcass characteristics and meat quality. 34 tails of Cherry Valley ducks aged 14 days with average weight of 500 g were randomly assigned to four treatments in triplicates. Treatments for the 35 days feeding trial were T1 at 0% probiotic + 75% commercial diet + 25% cassava leaves (control), T2 (0.15% probiotic + 75% commercial diet + 25% cassava leaves), T3 (0.30% probiotic + 75% commercial diet + 25% cassava leaves) and T4 (0.45% probiotic + 75% commercial diet + 25% cassava leaves) respectively. Proximate analysis was also conducted to determine nutritional content like protein, lipid, moisture, ash and fiber. Results show that supplementation of probiotic at 0.15% Lactobacillus spp. into 25% of cassava leaves and 75% commercial pellet gave highest body weight gain (BWG), low feed conversion ratio (FCR), highest carcass yield and good meat quality. It can be concluded that inclusion of probiotic at 0.15% in cassava leaves as duck’s diet gives good growth performance and may become an alternative super diet for duck in future.

Expression of Myosin Heavy Chain and Some Energy Metabolism-Related Genes in the Longissimus Dorsi Muscle of Krškopolje Pigs: Effect of the Production System.

The Slovenian Krškopolje pig is the only preserved local autochthonous breed, appreciated mainly for its good meat quality and considered more appropriate for processing into dry-cured products. However, the biological characteristics of the skeletal myofibers of the Krškopolje breed, specifically the heavy myosin chain-based contractile and metabolic phenotypes that could affect meat quality, have not been established under different husbandry systems. The breed is generally maintained in either conventional indoor or organic systems. In the present study, the morphological, contractile, and metabolic properties of myofibers of the longissimus dorsi muscle were compared between animals reared in either an organic or a conventional indoor system. The myofibers were studied using immunohistochemical and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity-based classification, histomorphometric assessment, and qPCR. Results revealed that the organic production system influenced the composition of the longissimus dorsi myofiber type, characterized by a smaller myofiber cross-sectional area, a shift toward oxidative (SDH-positive) myofiber types, increased relative expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoforms I, IIa, and IIx, and downregulation of MyHC IIb. On the contrary, no apparent effect was observed on the metabolic phenotype of the myofiber as assessed through relative mRNA expression of energy metabolism-related genes [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), lipoprotein-lipase (LPL), carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B), glycogen synthase 1 (GYS1), hexokinase 2 (HK2), and fatty acid synthase (FASN)]. Differences in MyHC expression were largely corroborated by the histochemical classification, indicating that the contractile protein content is directly regulated by the MyHC genes. A correlation between the muscle contractile and metabolic phenotypes was not established, except for that between the HK2 and MyHC I genes. In conclusion, the present study showed an evident effect of rearing on the longissimus dorsi myofiber contractile phenotype but not the metabolic phenotype. Moreover, obtained data suggest that rearing the Krškopolje pig breed in a conventional system would result in an increased fiber size and a greater proportion of type IIb myofibers, which are known to be negatively correlated with some meat quality traits.

Sub‐low salinity impact on survival, growth and meat quality of the Pacific abalone ( Haliotis discus hannai ) and hybrids

In recent years, suboptimal environmental conditions have been frequently reported to negatively impact on aquaculture organisms. Salinity is an important environmental factor, and its fluctuation will affect survival, growth and, potentially, the meat quality of the organisms with narrow salt tolerance cultured in coastal and inner bay. The aim of the study was to ascertain and report the influence of sub-low salinity (28 and 30) on the production traits and nutrient composition of the Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai (DD), and two of its hybrids (DF and SD). In view of this, 360 abalones were subjected to four salinity levels (28, 30, 32 and 34) for ninety days. The data showed that the weight gain and the specific growth rates in wet weight between the groups followed the trend of DF > SD > DD. DF recorded the highest meat yield, which was significantly higher than SD and DD (p < .05). The sub-low salinities tested did not influence moisture content, crude protein, total lipid and total carbohydrate (p > .05). Whilst lipid levels were fairly higher in SD and DF than in DD, at sub-low salinities, the opposite was true for carbohydrate content. Total minerals (ash), however, were influenced by salinity (p < .05). Individuals reared at 28 significantly differed from those of the other three treatments, but there was no significant difference between the groups (p > .05). Further analysis showed sodium and potassium as the predominant minerals—with a higher concentration of sodium at higher salinities, though no significant difference was found between individuals treated at 30, 32 and 34. Zinc was the only mineral not affected by salinity (p > .05), and the accumulation of discrete minerals by the species significantly differed from one mineral to the other and proved to be species-specific. Notwithstanding, SD demonstrated superior content of most essential minerals over DF and DD. The results in this paper infer that the Pacific abalone and its hybrids could maintain good meat quality and survival under a range of 28–34 of salinity, promoting the growth of cultured abalone under the sub-low salinity of 28.

Influence of l-histidine and l-lysine on the phosphorylation of myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins from chicken breast in response to salting

Protein phosphorylation play an important role during the muscle conversing to meat. To obtain good meat quality with low NaCl content, the regulation effect of l-lysine and l-histidine on the myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic proteins phoshorylation at postmortem 90 min was investigated at 1% NaCl and 3% NaCl. Protein identification revealed that the phosphoproteins were mainly structural functions and energy metabolism proteins. At 1% NaCl level, neither l-histidine nor l-lysine caused remarkable change in myofibrillar proteins total phosphorylation level, while a significant decrease was obtained compared to 3% NaCl treatment when l-histidine and/or l-lysine were introduction (P < 0.05). A statistically higher sarcoplasmic proteins total phosphorylation level was observed with the introduction of l-histidine + L-lysine regardless of NaCl level. For individual protein, the influence of l-lysine and/or l-histidine on phosphorylation varied with NaCl level. It was demonstrated that l-lysine and l-histidine introduction might influence meat quality through protein phosphorylation at different NaCl level. This work provided an insight into the regulation of postmortem biological process to improve meat quality through incorporation of exogenous amino acids.

Gravading process of Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ) and evaluation of its biochemical and sensory changes during refrigerated storage

Gravads were prepared from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and evaluated its shelf life during chilled (6°C) and iced (0°C) storage. For standardizing the gravading process, different salt:sugar combinations of gravad mix and two steaks to gravad mixture ratio (1:0.1 and 1:0.2) were selected. Gravads prepared using 1:2 salt-sugar in the gravad mix and a ratio of 1:0.1 steaks to gravad mix was found optimum combination. Gravads prepared using the standardized combination of salt and sugar were stored at 0°C and 6°C and evaluated for its biochemical and sensorial changes. Total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) increased from 10.25 mg/100 g to 29.85 and 30.66 mg/100 g on Day 41 and Day 49 for chilled and iced samples, respectively. The extend of secondary oxidation was low in both samples, registering an increase from 0.14 mg MDA/kg sample to 0.814 and 0.851 MDA/kg sample on 41st and 49th day, respectively, for chilled and iced samples. Water soluble and salt soluble nitrogen contents were reduced to 1.82 and 5.47 mg/100 g and 1.58 and 4.72 mg/100 g by the end of 41st and 49th day, respectively, for chilled and ice stored gravads. The shelf life of gravads was determined as 41 days under chilled storage and 45 days under iced storage. Practical applications Nile tilapia is widely cultured fish species in India after the Indian major carps. It is of great interest to the farmers and demand among the consumers because of its fast growth rate and good meat quality. Value addition is an effective approach to utilize this resource cost-effectively during excessive production periods. Conversion of Nile tilapia into gravads not only increases the value but also enhances the quality and shelf life of the product. The results of the present study provide an idea of appropriate process parameters for making gravads from Nile tilapia and information on its shelf life under refrigerated storage.

Traits of Carcass Value in Duroc Pig Breed Depending on Sex

In pure pig breeds used for creation of final carcass hybrids in the Czech Republic a content of intramuscular fat (responsible for marbling) decreased during the process of selection on high meatiness. Duroc breed is mentioned as less affected by this process. The study evaluated 28 animals of Duroc breed, 14 hogs and 14 gilts and chosen traits were compared between sexes. Animals were slaughtered in average weight 102.1 kg with an average lean meat percentage 57.73 (hogs reached 57.61, gilts 57.84%). An average pH1 was measured on a level of 6.11 (hogs 6.07, gilts 6.14 with a statistically conclusive difference among sexes, p ≤ 0.05). PH24 reached values of 5.80 (hogs 5.74, gilts 5.86 with a statistically conclusive difference among sexes, p ≤ 0.01). Determined level of intramuscular fat was 1.67% (hogs reached 1.92% of intramuscular fat, gilts 1.42%). Values of pH1 and pH24 were on a really good level and showed good meat quality without tendency to some meat defect. Level of lean meat percentage corresponds with other authors. Level of an intramuscular fat content was lower than values mentioned by other authors, but close to an optimal level, so it is possible to confirm good quality of actual population of Duroc pig breed in the Czech Republic and recommend this breed for production of final carcass pig hybrids.

Effects of maternal and dietary vitamin A on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of offspring broilers

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal and dietary vitamin A (VA) level on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant status, and immune function of offspring broilers. Chinese yellow-feathered breeder hens were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 5,400, 10,800, and 21,600 IU/kg VA for 8 wk, with 6 replicates of 22 hens per replicate. Then the offspring hatched from each of the 4 maternal groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 or 5,000 IU/kg VA for 63 D. Overall, there were 8 treatment combinations, each with 6 replicate pens of 20 birds. Results showed that (1) providing VA in offspring diets increased final body weight (FW), average daily gain, and average daily feed intake but reduced feed-to-gain ratio and mortality of offspring broilers (P < 0.05), whereas maternal provision of VA did not significantly affect the growth performance and mortality of offspring broilers. Maternal or offspring VA did not affect proportion of breast or thigh muscle (P > 0.05). (2) Maternal feeding with 21,600 IU/kg VA increased (P < 0.05) pH 24 h postmortem of breast muscle, compared with those without maternal supplication of VA. Dietary provision of 5,000 IU/kg VA in the posthatching diet decreased (P < 0.05) drip loss, yellowness (b∗) value and lightness (L∗) value, and increased shear force and pH of breast muscle compared with those without dietary VA supplication. (3) Maternal or offspring VA did not affect the activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) or the content of malondialdehyde; however, there was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between maternal and offspring VA on the activity of GSH-Px in serum. (4) Dietary provision of 5,000 IU/kg VA increased (P < 0.05) the weight proportion of liver and bursa of fabricius, whereas maternal feeding with 21,600 IU/kg VA increased the hatchling BW. Maternal feeding with 5,400 and 21,600 IU/kg VA decreased (P < 0.05) splenic interferon-γ (IFN-γ) transcripts and increased (P < 0.05) those of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the progeny. There were interactions (P < 0.05) between maternal and offspring VA on splenic IL-2, IL-1β, and IFN-γ expression. In summary, maternal and offspring provision of VA both had influence on meat quality and immune function in progeny broilers. Dietary VA increased growth performance, whereas the maternal VA affected the initial body weight of progeny when hatched, but the difference in performance caused by maternal VA level was able to be eliminated by dietary VA supplementation. Therefore, offspring provision had greater importance than maternal VA in the production; however, both should be considered in broiler nutrition to achieve good meat quality and immune status of broilers.

Ultrasound applications in poultry meat processing: A systematic review.

Ultrasound (US) is classified as a nonthermal treatment and it is used in food processing at a frequency range between 20kHz and 1MHz. Cavitation bubbles occur when the US strength is high enough to generate rarefaction that exceeds the intermolecular attraction forces in the medium. Currently, US is widely used in meat industries to enhance procedures, such as meat tenderization, emulsification mass transfer, marination, freezing, homogenization, crystallization, drying, and microorganism inactivation. In addition, combining ultrasonic energy with a sanitizing agent has a synergistic effect on microbial reduction. When poultry meat is treated using US, the expected quality is often better than the traditional methods, such as sanitization and freezing. US can be considered as a novel green technology for tenderizing and decontamination of poultry meat since both Escherichia coli and Salmonella are sensible to US. US improves the physical and chemical properties of meat proteins and can lead to a decrease in the α-helix in intramuscular protease complex in addition to a reduction in the viscosity coefficients. Therefore, ultrasonic treatment can be applied to enhance the textural properties of chicken meat. US can also be used to improve the drying rate when used under vacuum, compared with other traditional techniques. This review focuses on the potential of US applications in the management of poultry industries as the demand for good quality meat proteins is increasing worldwide.

Whole-genome resequencing reveals diversity, global and local ancestry proportions in Yunling cattle.

Yunling cattle, a three-breed cross consisting of 1/2 Brahman cattle, 1/4 Murray Grey cattle and 1/4 Yunnan Yellow cattle, has advantage of rapid growth, good meat quality, enhanced tolerance towards a hot and humid climate, tick resistance and crude feed forbearance. Here, we investigated the genetic diversity, global and local ancestry proportions by sequencing the genomes of 131 Yungling cattle and 31 Brahman cattle (for control). Furthermore, we used 35 published genomes of ancestry breeds (including Angus cattle [ancestry of Murray Grey], Wannan cattle [ancestry of Yunnan Yellow cattle: Wenshan and Dianzhong], Wenshan and Dianzhong cattle) to characterize the formation process of Yunling cattle. The highest nucleotide diversity was found in the Wannan cattle, followed by Wenshan, Dianzhong, Brahman, Yunling and Angus cattle. The results of LD decay in each breed was largely consistent with the results of nucleotide diversity, except for the faster decay in Angus cattle out of a smaller effective population size and a strong bottleneck during the breed formation. The population-structure analysis revealed that the cross-breed Yunling cattle harboured the ancestry with Angus (0.44), Brahman (0.48) and Wannan cattle (0.08). Subsequently, we used RFmix to infer local ancestry in Yunling cattle and then performed chi-squared test to obtain the segments whose proportions of a certain ancestry were excessive compared with the whole-genome level, leading to 391 Angus, 49 Brahman and 2,312 Wannan segments. Gene annotation and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the excessive Angus, Brahman and Wannan segments might contribute to the rapid growth, immune resistance and indigenous adaptation, respectively, in Yunling cattle. Our results help understand ancestry components and formation process in Yunling cattle and will provide an opportunity for selective breeding by molecular approaches in future.

Kostroma cattle breed in the new century: the state and the prospects (review)

The article reflects the current state and the prospects of the Kostroma cattle breed development. The creation and improvement of the breed anticipated the formation and further breed development in the domestic and world zoo technical science. In recent years, the number of Kostroma cattle breed has been unreasonably reducing despite its economic valuable traits. At the same time in the Kostroma region there are prospects for preserving the valuable gene pool of one of the best domestic dairy and meat cattle breeds. As a result of directed selection and breeding work with the use of Brown Swiss bulls, a stud milk breed "Karavaevsky KK-1" has been developed. At present cow-champions of the Kostroma breed give up to 12,000 kg of milk per lactation. The milk of the Kostroma breed cows has a high content of protein and fat. The animals of Kostroma breed have good meat qualities, high resistance to a number of diseases, strong ungulate horn, easy adaptability to intensive technologies, good fertility and high productive longevity. To save the Kostroma breed it is important to put on 8-10 bulls of 8 planned lines and related groups for the validation and accumulation of sperm every year. The restoration of previously created lines with high genetic potential should be foreseen. It is necessary to identify and actively use the stud bulls bred in their own breeding farms; to conduct a linear assessment of bulls and daughter heifers by body type for more competent selection. In addition to the generally accepted forms and methods of selection, it is necessary to continue immunogenetic control of the authenticity of the origin of breeding animals and introduce modern methods of DNA technology to assess the breeding and productive qualities of cattle, which will reveal valuable genetic complexes in the best breeding animals and thus 1.5-2 times accelerate the selection processes.Conflict of interest: the authors stated that there was no conflict of interest.

Utilization of Molecular Marker to Improve Cattle Carcass Quality in Indonesia

Cattle is one of the commodities that have a national priority to achieve self-sufficiency in animal protein food for the Indonesian people. Beside beef sufficiency, demand on good quality meat in Indonesia is also increasing. Good quality carcass with lower fat content can give higher economic value. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of molecular markers to improve the quality of beef cattle carcass. Heritability value in carcass characteristic is low to moderate value, but it can be increased by selection using certain molecular markers. Several genes have been identified and correlated with carcass quality in several breed of cattle. Study in Bali cattle showed that the Calpain (CAPN1) and Calpastatin (CASTN) genes could be used as molecular markers to select Bali cattle with higher quality carcass because these genes were associated with carcass quality traits. In conclusion that Calpain (CAPN1) and Calpastatin (CASTN) genes can be used for local beef cattle selection toward better carcass quality and have opportunity to be utilized to improve carcass quality of other beef cattle breeds in Indonesia.

Peculiarities of metabolism of rams obtained from crossing ewes of Kalmyk fat-tailed breed with dorper rams

To increase the production of mutton, it is necessary to improve the genetic resources of sheep with precocity and high meat productivity. In this regard, the meat breed Dorper has gained its popularity, which has good meat qualities. The aim of this paper is to study the hematological parameters in the blood of the Kalmyk fat-tailed breed and hybrids (1/2 Kalmyk fat-tailed × ½ dorper). The work was carried out in LLC “Agrofirma Aduchi”, the Republic of Kalmykia in 2017. It is established that hybrids have a high content of hemoglobin, leukocytes, erythrocytes in the blood, which indicates the activation of redox processes in the body, and confirms their higher growth rates during cultivation. The content of total protein in the blood serum increased with age and was within the physiological norm. At 4 months of age, in the serum of lambs of group II, there was more total protein by 4.86 g/l (7.39%) (P > 0.95), and at 8 months of age – by 5.16 g/l (7.74%) (P > 0.99), than in peers of the control group. Crossbred calves were significantly superior to purebred animals also in blood serum, albumin, activity of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase. The activation of metabolic processes in the body of local sheep contributed to a high energy of growth in comparison with purebred peers of Kalmyk fat-tailed breed.

Microstructure of muscle tissue and its connection with slaughter and meat qualities of young rams of different genotype

The successful development of the world sheep breeding is due to its meat productivity. In this regard, dorper meat breed gained its popularity, which has good meat qualities. The aim of the paper was to study the histological structure of the longissimus muscle of back of young rams of Kalmyk fat-tailed breeds and hybrids (1/2 Kalmyk fat-tailed + ½ dorper), as well as to establish a correlation between histological indicators of muscle tissue and slaughter and meat qualities. The work was carried out in LLC “Agrofirma Aduchi”, Republic of Kalmykia in 2016-2017. It was found that the muscle tissue of crossbred young rams was characterized by a large number of muscle fibers per unit area, a smaller diameter of muscle fiber, a higher rating of “marbling”. The content of connective tissue was greater in purebred rams than in crossbred ones. The area of the “muscle eye” was larger in crossbred animals of the second group. In the animals of Kalmyk fat-tailed breed, the coefficient of variation in the number of muscle fibers per mm2 was high and made up of 7.36% for the overall assessment of “marbling” to 10.59%, the content of connective tissue – 5.94%, which is higher compared to crossbred animals. Muscle tissue of crossbreed young rams is characterized by significantly more muscle fibers per unit area, smaller diameter of muscle fiber, and a higher rating of “marbling”.

Hematological and immune genes responses in yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) with septicemia induced by Edwardsiella ictaluri

Yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) has been an economically important freshwater species in China because of its good meat quality. In present, the high-density breeding industry has suffered great damage from bacterial infections, in especial, the rapid illness and death of fish caused by bacterial septicemia leads to huge economic losses. Therefore, it is urgent and important to identify pathogenic bacteria and study its pathogenicity. In this study, we isolated a bacterial strain from the yellow catfish with typical septicemia and named it E. 719, then, by morphological observations, regression infection, biochemical identification, 16S rDNA sequence analysis and triple PCR identification, E. 719 was determined to be Edwardsiella ictaluri. Further, we infected yellow catfish with E. ictaluri to study its effects on mortality rate, hematological, histopathological disturbances and expression of immune genes. The mortality results showed that E. ictaluri was highly pathogenic, all infected fish died after 14 days post injection, and the distribution of bacteria in body kidney, spleen, liver, head kidney and brain of fish was continuously detected by measuring the amount of bacteria in the tissues. In addition, the number of red blood cells decreased significantly with the time of infection, while the number of white blood cells and thrombocytes increased. In particular, the number of monocytes and neutrophils increased significantly in the differential leucocyte count (DLC). Histopathologic changes observed by HE staining showed similar results, gill, intestine, spleen and head kidney showed obvious inflammation, bleeding and necrosis. Besides, checking by real time quantitative RT-PCR assays, in both spleen and head kidney tissues which were the major immune organs, mRNA expressions of immune gene IL-1β, TNF-α, and MR significantly increased in the early and middle stages of infection, which suggested that the infection of E. ictaluri caused a strong immune response in yellow catfish. This study provides a preliminary basis for the diagnosis and treatment of pathophysiology septicemia in yellow catfish induced by E. ictaluri.

Dependence of the Physicochemical Composition and Biological Value of the Meat of Tuvinian Short-Fattailed Sheep on the Type of Feeding Behavior

Studying the biological and nutritional value of the meat of Tuvinian short-fattailed sheep is a relevant task. Tuvinian sheep combine good meat qualities. The article presents the data about the biological and nutritive value of the meat of Tuvinian short-fattailed rams with various types of feeding behavior. For its taste, due to the low content of cholesterol in the fat, lamb meat belongs to dietary products. The highest gain in the muscle tissue is observed in calves of 4 – 6 months of age. When compared to veal, by the content of protein in boneless meat, lamb meat is slightly inferior, but in fat and energy content is superior. Lamb meat protein contains more essential amino acids, such as arginine, tryptophan, threonine than veal. Types of sheep feeding behavior are inheritable. The first behavior type is called strong fast-growing balanced (group I), the second – strong fast-growing unbalanced (group II), the third – weak slow-growing (group III). Sheep of the calm type eat the fodder and assimilate nutrients better, and their consumption of feed per unit of product is lower, and feed efficiency is higher by 28 – 33 %. In the meat of the rams of the behavior type III, the moisture content is 63.8 %, while in group I, it is lower by 2.3 %; in group I, the highest fat content is observed – 17.0 %, which is higher by 1.2 % and 1.6 % than in the behavior groups II and III. By the mass fraction of protein and ash, no significant differences are found. In the studied types of behavior, the relation between the content of fat and protein is not so obvious; however, an increased fat content results in a decreased protein content. The energy value of 100 g of minced lamb meat in feeding behavior group I is 227 kcal, or 949.85 kJ, which is higher by 12 kcal, or 50.25 kJ than in type II, and higher by 15.2 kcal, or 63.66 kJ than in type III, respectively. The amino acids ratio is one of the criteria of meat nutritional value. The protein quality indicator of the muscle tissues (PQI) in seven-months old rams of type II is higher than in the groups of feeding behavior types I and III. A specific and quite clear correlation has been found between the amino acid composition of lamb meat and its organoleptic properties, depending on the type of rams feeding behavior.

Cinnamon and Gotu Kola Supplementation to Produce High Antioxidant and Low Cholesterol of Quail Pectoral Meat

Cholesterol in quail meat is one of the factors causing consumers to control consumption of quail meat. On the other hand, the antioxidant content in quail meat could attracts the consumers. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum sp.) bark and gotu kola (Centella asiatica) leaves are medicinal plants that contain many polyphenol compounds. The objective of this study was to obtain the most optimum formula made from cinnamon and gotu kola as a feed supplement to produce the quail meat which has low cholesterol but rich in antioxidants. This study used a completely randomized design which consisting of six groups with three replications. The six groups included one control (P0), 5 treatments consisted of 5% cinnamon (P1), 5% gotu kola (P2), combination of cinnamon and gotu kola powder with ratio 5%:5% (P3), 5%:10% (P4) and 10%:5% (P5). The results showed that food supplements made from cinnamon bark and gotu kola leaves could increase the body weight, antioxidant levels, and reduce cholesterol levels in quail meat. Cinnamon as feed supplement with a concentration of 5% or a combination of cinnamon and gotu kola with a ratio of 5%: 10% provided the best effect on antioxidants and cholesterol level in meat. The use of cinnamon and gotu kola supplementation to produce high antioxidant and low cholesterol of quail met have not studied yet. The result of the study would be beneficial for developing the healthy, safe and good quality of quail meat.