Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of diets with and without supplements of methionine/lysine (met/lys) and methionine/α-tocopherol (met/α-tocopherol) on the performance, carcass traits and meat quality of Hanwoo steers.
Methods: A total of 21 Hanwoo steers were divided into three different groups. Each group consisted of 7 animals that received different dietary treatments for 120 days as follows: a control (C) diet composed of a basal diet with 74% total digestible nutrient and 12% crude protein; treatment 1 (T1) composed of a basal diet enriched with methionine 69%+lysine 31%; and treatment (T2) composed of a basal diet enriched with methionine 84.65%+α-tocopherol 15.35%. Daily supplementation was given using the top-dressing method (20 g/animal).
Results: The met/lys groups yielded a longissimus lumborum with increased water holding capacity (p<0.01) and lower shear force value (p<0.05). Dietary met/lys did not have an adverse effect on the animal performance and carcass traits. Instead, these supplements contributed significantly to the higher protein content compared to the control diet (p<0.05). Myristic acid (C14:0) was the only fatty acid affected by the supplementation. While the met/α-tocopherol group led to significantly higher protein and oxymyoglobin contents during storage (p<0.05). It also contributed significantly to the lower shear force value and 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances score during storage (p<0.05) compared to the control and treatment 1 since the initial storage day. The met/α-tocopherol diet also yielded meat with a redder color (p<0.05) after 3 days of storage. However, it did not significantly contribute to the fatty acid profiles of Hanwoo steers.
Conclusion: Met/lys supplementation resulted in higher protein scores, water holding capacity and lower shear force scores. While met/α-tocopherol supplementation contributes to the production of redder meat, reduces lipid oxidation, production of more tender meat and increases the content of protein and oxymyoglobin percentage.
Keywords: Hanwoo Steers; Lysine; Meat Quality; Methionine; α-Tocopherol.