Productive Performance, Carcass Traits, and Meat Quality in Finishing Lambs Supplemented with a Polyherbal Mixture

José Felipe Orzuna-Orzuna, Griselda Dorantes-Iturbide, Alejandro Lara-Bueno, Germán David Mendoza-Martínez, Luis Alberto Miranda-Romero, Rufino López-Ordaz and Pedro Abel Hernández-García
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José Felipe Orzuna-Orzuna: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo CP 56230, Mexico
Griselda Dorantes-Iturbide: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo CP 56230, Mexico
Alejandro Lara-Bueno: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo CP 56230, Mexico
Germán David Mendoza-Martínez: Departamento de Producción Agrícola Y Animal, Unidad Xochimilco, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico City CP 04960, Mexico
Luis Alberto Miranda-Romero: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo CP 56230, Mexico
Rufino López-Ordaz: Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo CP 56230, Mexico
Pedro Abel Hernández-García: Centro Universitario UAEM Amecameca, Universidad Autónoma Del Estado De México, Amecameca CP 56900, Mexico

Agriculture, 2021, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-13

Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of a polyherbal mixture (HM) containing saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides on productive performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs during the final fattening period. Thirty-six Dorper × Katahdin lambs (23.27 ± 1.23 kg body weight (BW)) were housed in individual pens and were assigned to four treatments ( n = 9) with different doses of HM: 0 (CON), 1 (HM1), 2 (HM2) and 3 (HM3) g of HM kg −1 of DM for 56 days. Data were analysed as a completely randomized design using the MIXED and GLM procedures of statistical analysis system (SAS), and linear and quadratic effects were tested to evaluate the effects of the HM level. DM digestibility decreased in lambs fed HM3 ( p < 0.05). There was no effect of HM on daily weight gain, dry matter intake, final BW, feed conversion, carcass characteristics, colour (L* and a*) and meat chemical composition. Meat pH, cooking loss and drip loss increased linearly ( p < 0.05) when the HM dose was increased. The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) of meat was lower ( p < 0.05) in lambs fed HM3. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 3 g HM kg 1 of DM improves meat tenderness. However, high doses of HM in the diet may decrease the digestibility of DM and increase the cooking loss and drip loss of lamb meat during the final fattening period.

Keywords: fattening lamb; saponins; bioactive compounds; mutton tenderness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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