Effect of dietary Agriophyllum squarrosum on average daily gain, meat quality and muscle fatty acids in growing Tan lambs

Yanping Liang; Dan Jiao; Xia Du; Jianwei Zhou; Abraham Allan Degen; Fu Ran; Guancong Sun; Kaixi Ji; Xiukun Wu; Xindong Cheng; Xiaofei Ma; Chaoju Qian; Guo Yang

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109195

Effect of dietary Agriophyllum squarrosum on average daily gain, meat quality and muscle fatty acids in growing Tan lambs

Meat Sci. 2023 Jul:201:109195. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109195. Epub 2023 Apr 15.

Authors

Yanping Liang¹, Dan Jiao¹, Xia Du¹, Jianwei Zhou², Abraham Allan Degen³, Fu Ran⁴, Guancong Sun⁵, Kaixi Ji¹, Xiukun Wu⁵, Xindong Cheng¹, Xiaofei Ma⁵, Chaoju Qian⁵, Guo Yang⁶

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
³ Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of Negev, Beer Sheva l8410500, Israel.
⁴ Pratacultural College, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
⁶ Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Department of Ecology and Agriculture Research, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Dongying Yellow River Delta Biogenetic and Molecular Precision Breeding Laboratory, Dongying 257092, China; Shandong Huakun Rural Revitalization Institute Co., LTD, Dongying 250014, China. Electronic address: yangguo@lzb.ac.cn.

PMID: 37119717
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2023.109195

Abstract

The herb A. squarrosum is reputed to possess medicinal properties for humans, and has the potential to be a feed resource for livestock. We hypothesized that this herb would improve the meat quality of lambs. To test this hypothesis, 24 Tan ewe-lambs (27.7 ± 0.45 kg) were offered diets containing 0 (CON), 100 (AS₁₀₀), 200 (AS₂₀₀) and 300 (AS₃₀₀) g A. squarrosum/kg DM, and average daily gain, carcass traits, blood metabolites, meat quality and fatty acid profiles were determined. Drip loss % and cooking loss % decreased with the AS₁₀₀ and AS₂₀₀ diets (P < 0.05). Dietary A. squarrosum reduced muscle fiber area and diameter and increased density of the meat (P < 0.05), which indicated that the meat was more tender. The concentrations of C10:0 and C18:1n-9 t were 1ower and of C17:0 and C18:3n-3 were greater in the AS₂₀₀ and AS₃₀₀ treatments than CON (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that feeding lambs up to 200 g/kg DM of A. squarrosum can increase the water-holding capacity and L* value of meat without compromising growth. Further research is needed to determine the optimal level.

Keywords: Agriophyllum squarrosum; Average daily gain; Fatty acids; Meat quality; Tan lambs.

MeSH terms

Animal Feed / analysis
Animals
Diet / veterinary
Fatty Acids* / metabolism
Female
Humans
Meat / analysis
Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
Sheep
Sheep, Domestic* / metabolism

Substances

Fatty Acids