The application of bioelectrical impedance analysis in live tropical hair sheep as a predictor of body composition upon slaughter

Abstract

Animal management for breeding and marketing can be improved by precise measurement of desirable traits. Live animal body composition analysis facilitates the selection of animals that are best suited for the intended purpose. This study was designed to assess the accuracy of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) predicted live body tissue composition, as a proxy for the estimation of carcass quality in Barbados Black Belly lambs. Thirty-four Barbados Black Belly lambs were placed on an 8-week feeding regime and then slaughtered. A randomized experimental design was used to allocate diets to animals, which had been stratified into eight groups by initial live weight. The lambs were fed a basal diet of Brachiaria arrecta fresh forage ad libitum and subjected to one of four diets; NS-non-supplemented diet, TG-Trichantera gigantea-supplemented, C100-concentrate supplemented for maintenance, and C400-concentrate supplemented for growth. Diets NS, TG, C100, and C400 had 7, 9, 11, and 7 animals, respectively. The average age and weight at the time of slaughter were 206 days and 23.7 kg, respectively. A 4-terminal impedance analyzer (RJL Systems®) was used to generate BIA data from live animals immediately before slaughter. The chilled carcasses were then subject to chemical analysis for crude fat, crude protein, and dry matter. Live animal and carcass traits predicted by BIA included fat and fat-free mass, crude fat, crude protein, protein to fat ratio, and tissue distribution. Regression equations were developed from BIA data obtained from the live animal to predict all carcass composition traits measured. Bioelectrical impedance analysis generated favorable results as a practical application to carcass composition evaluation in live tropical hair sheep.

Use of electrical bioimpedance analysis to evaluate the quality of bovine raw milk

“…The bioimpedance technique, when used to evaluate the quality of the body composition of cattle, swine, sheep, buffaloes and rabbits, showed that the characteristics of the carcass, morphology, electrode positioning, and homogeneity of the parameters directly influenced the measurements (Altmann et al, 2004;Avril et al, 2013;Schäff et al, 2017).…”

“…Muscle tissues and proteins are considered electrical conductors and can measure conductance (C). That is, they have low electrical resistance (Avril et al, 2013). On the other hand, Mabrook & Petty (2003) demonstrated that milk lactose has little effect on electrical conductivity (EC), whereas the presence of fat results in a decrease in milk conductance.…”

Análisis de impedancia bioeléctrica (AIB) en la producción animal. Revisión

“…The same applies to lean tissues formed by muscles and viscera, which are good conductors of ionic current due to their large amount of water and electrolytes. Adipose and bone tissues, on the other hand, conduct ionic current with less intensity, when compared to the muscles and viscera, being highly resistant (16) .…”

“…The evaluation of the body composition is frequently used to improve management and zootechnical control on farm animal sector, enabling the responsible technician and raiser to select animals with higher performances, adapting them for the consuming market (16) . The most commonly used methods to predict the composition and the carcass of living or slaughtered animals are often time-consuming, expensive and invasive (10) .…”

Prediction of lamb body composition using in vivo bioimpedance analysis

“…In vivo bioimpedance analysis (BIA) is a simple, rapid, relatively cheap, non-destructive, and minimally invasive method to estimate the body composition of sheep (Altmann, Pliquett, Suess, & Von Borell, 2004;Avril, Lallo, Mlambo, & Bourne, 2013;Berg & Marchello, 1994). Bioimpedance measures both modulus and phase of an equivalent impedance at a certain frequency, which is then calculated both resistance and reactance.…”