Feeding Fungal-Pretreated Corn Straw Improves Health and Meat Quality of Lambs Infected with Gastrointestinal Nematodes

Abstract

Infections with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) adversely affect meat color in lambs. Although white-rot fungi (WRF) pretreatment increases nutritional value and fiber digestion of corn straw for lambs, whether it can improve meat quality of lambs infected with GINs is unknown. The objective of this experiment was to study effects of feeding WRF-pretreated corn straw on the health and meat quality of lambs infected with GINs. Sixteen healthy Ujumqin lambs were orally drenched with 3rd-stage GINs larvae and randomly divided into two dietary treatments of control (CON) and WRF diets for 70 days of feeding. Results showed that feeding WRF-pretreated corn straw decreased L* and b* values (p < 0.05) and increased a* value (p < 0.01) of both longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles of lambs infected with GINs. Feeding WRF-pretreatment corn straw decreased fecal egg count (p = 0.014) and increased packed cell volume (p = 0.013) of lambs from 28 d of feeding and increased plasma iron content (p = 0.008) of lambs from 56 d of the feeding. Feeding WRF-pretreatment corn straw decreased myosin heavy-chain (MyHC)-I (p = 0.032) and MyHC-IIα (p = 0.025) content in LTL muscle and MyHC-I (p = 0.022) and MyHC-IIβ (p = 0.048) in SM muscle of lambs. In conclusion, although there were no significant changes in the content of most amino acids or increased intensity of better flavor compounds, meat quality and health of lambs infected with GINs was significantly improved by feeding WRF-pretreated corn straw due to increased PCV and meat color and tenderness.

Incorporation of Herbal Plants in the Diet of Ruminants: Effect on Meat Quality

“…Aged for (7) days, similar observations were reported in lambs fed herbal plants (24). Based, (74) showed that increased redness value (P≤0.01) and reduced yellow appearance and lightness values (p ≤0.05) of both semimembranosus (SM) and longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscles of lambs infected with gastrointestinal nematodes fed whiterot fungi-pretreated corn straw. Dietary coriander seeds made a significant different for lightness and yellow appearance parameters.…”

“…Dietary quercetin did not affect loin tenderness in Hanwoo cattle (64). It was also seen that adding white-rot fungi-pretreated corn straw to the diets has been improved tenderness of lamb meat (74). (67) reported that shear force values decreased significantly (P<0.05) in meat of goats fed diet supplemented with various parts of Andrographis Paniculate (APL) or Andrographis Paniculate whole plant (APW) because…”

Effects of Dietary Incorporation of Grape Stalks Untreated and Fungi-Treated in Growing Rabbits: A Preliminary Study

“…The modification of lignin structure (delignification) will increase the access to cellulose and hemicellulose and enhance the digestibility of the lignocellulosic biomass. Many studies have evaluated the effect of biological treatment on lignocellulosic biomass with fungi, mainly in sheep [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], cattle [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], and rabbits [ 21 , 22 , 23 ]. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the dietary incorporation of untreated and fungi-treated grape stalks with Lentinula edodes on the diets of growing rabbits.…”