Effects of Whole Corn Germ, a Source of Linoleic Acid, on Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Feedlot Lambs

Abstract

The whole corn germ (WCG), due to its desirable nutritional characteristics, has been studied as feed for ruminants. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of WCG inclusion as a linoleic acid source in diets for feedlot lambs on carcass characteristics, physicochemical composition, sensory attributes, and fatty acid profile of the meat. Forty non-castrated, crossbreed Dorper x Santa Inês lambs were distributed in a completely randomized design to evaluate the inclusion levels (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 g/kg dry matter (DM)) of whole corn germ (WCG) in the diet. The dietary inclusion of WCG did not influence (p > 0.05) the weight gain and carcass characteristics, with the exception of the subcutaneous fat thickness (p < 0.01), which was higher in animals fed diets with higher levels of WCG. Lightness (L *; p = 0.04), yellowness (b *; p < 0.01), shear force (p = 0.04), linoleic fatty acid concentrations (p = 0.03), and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (p = 0.04) had a quadratic increase due to WCG inclusion in the diets. The use of up to 120 g/kg DM of WCG in lamb diets does not affect the carcass characteristics, physicochemical composition, and sensory attributes of the meat. Despite this, the best polyunsaturated fatty acid profile in lambs’ meat is obtained using 76.7 g/kg DM of WCG.

Productive characteristics of feedlot Santa Inês and Dorper lambs: intake, digestibility, feeding behavior, performance, carcass traits, and meat quality

“…Besides, the ultimate pH observed indicates the absence of stress before slaughter and normal development of the rigor mortis (Della Malva et al 2016;Pereira et al 2016), verifying that the meat quality was not affected (Gallo and Huertas 2016). The cooking losses, SF, centesimal composition, sensory attributes, and the color of the meat obtained through its coordinates L*, a*, and b* were close to those found by Alba et al (2021) and Nascimento et al (2021), when evaluating the quality of the meat of feedlot Dorper × Santa Inês lambs. Cooking losses are a parameter associated with performance in meat preparation and its consumption.…”

Effects of Management, Dietary Intake, and Genotype on Rumen Morphology, Fermentation, and Microbiota, and on Meat Quality in Yaks and Cattle

“…It is also consistent with the report of Lobo et al that genotype plays an important role in body fat anabolism ( 80 ). Lower concentrations of linoleic and linolelaidic acids (C18:2n6c and n6t) were observed in the meat of GY than in FC and FY, which was due to the lower content of C18:2 in grass than in concentrate feed ( 81 ), as C18:2n6c in meat is derived wholly from dietary intake ( 82 ). High levels of C18:2 can have adverse effect on odors and flavors of beef ( 83 ).…”

Effect of Feeding Frequency on Intake, Digestibility, Ingestive Behavior, Performance, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Male Feedlot Lambs

“…Several factors can affect feed intake, including the level or source of dietary fat [1,3], the use or not of by-products [37][38][39][40], the proportion of concentrate [41], and the diet supply strategy [9].…”

“…Researchers have reported that intensive systems are an effective method for raising feedlot lambs. This system shortens the production cycle allowing for increased carcasses processed in the same amount of time and better quality meat [1][2][3].…”