›› 2013, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (9): 118-123.

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Effects of Nutrition Restriction and Compensation on Meat Quality of Lambs

LAN Ru-bing1, GAO Ai-wu2, YANG Jin-li1, ZHANG Chong-zhi1, HOU Xian-zhi1, KAO Gui-lan3   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China;
    2. College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China;
    3. College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
  • Received:2013-03-11 Online:2013-09-20 Published:2013-09-18

Abstract: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of the nutrition restriction period (0 to 60 d) with different energy (ME) and protein (CP) levels and compensation period (61 to 150 d) on meat quality of lambs. Eighty Mongolian lambs were randomly divided into four treatment groups, the control group (CG), the moderate restriction groups (RG1 and RG2), and the severe restriction group (RG3).Dietary nutrition level were ME 10.88 MJ/kg and CP 15.0%, ME 10.88 MJ/kg and CP 10.0%, ME 9.41 MJ/kg and CP 10.0%, ME 8.62 MJ/kg and CP 5.7% during the nutrition restriction period for CG, RG1, RG2 and RG3, respectively. In nutritional compensation period all groups were offered the same levels diet (ME 9.75 MJ/kg, CP 12%). Four lambs of each group were slaughtered at the end of the restriction period and compensation period. The pH1value, pH24 h value, the rate of water loss and shear force values of lamb the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle were measured, and the chemical compositions of carcass were also detected after the nutrition restriction period and compensation. The results showed that at the end of the restriction period, the pH1 value of LD and the content of carcass crude protein, crude ash of RG3 group were significantly higher than the CG group (P<0.05), the shear force value of LD was significantly lower than the CG group (P<0.05), and the content of carcass dry matter was extremely significantly lower than the CG group (P<0.01). At the end of the compensation, the pH1 value of LD of RG2 group was significantly higher than the CG group (P<0.05),the shear force value of LD and the content of carcass crude protein of RG1 and RG2 groups were significantly higher than the CG group (P<0.05). The content of carcass crude ash of RG3 group was significantly higher than the CG group (P<0.05). The results suggested that the pH value,tenderness and the carcass composition were all affected by the nutrition restriction. However, there were no differences between the control group and treatment groups except tenderness. The compensatory rates decreased with the increasing of nutrition restriction.

Key words: nutrient restriction; compensation; Mongolian lamb; meat quality

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