F. Javier Giráldez

Meat texture and antioxidant status are improved when carnosic acid is included in the diet of fattening lambs.

Thirty-two Merino lambs fed barley straw and a concentrate alone (CONTROL group) or enriched with carnosic acid [0.6 g kg(-1) dry matter (DM), CARN006 group; 1.2 g kg(-1) DM, CARN012 group] or vitamin E (0.6 g kg(-1) DM, VITE006 group) were used to assess the effect of these antioxidant compounds on meat quality. After being fed the experimental diets for at least 5 weeks, the animals were slaughtered with the 25 kg intended body weight and the different muscles (longissimus lumborum; LL, gluteus medius; GM) were sliced and kept refrigerated under modified atmosphere packaging during 0, 7 and 14 days. The results indicate that carnosic acid seemed to be useful to delay lipid peroxidation in a medium colour-stable muscle such as GM, but this effect was lower than that observed when vitamin E was supplemented to fattening lambs. On the contrary, meat texture and protection against cholesterol oxidation were equally improved with both compounds.

Effect of dietary carnosic acid on the fatty acid profile and flavour stability of meat from fattening lambs

Thirty-two lambs were fed with barley straw supplemented by a concentrate alone, or a concentrate enriched with either vitamin E (VITE006: 0.6 g kg(-1) feed concentrate) or carnosic acid (CARN006: 0.6 g kg(-1) feed concentrate; or CARN012: 1.2 g kg(-1) feed concentrate). In order to elucidate the influence of the dietary supplementation of carnosic compared with a reference diet antioxidant (vitamin E), the animals were slaughtered and the longissimus thoracis were lyophilised to determine the FAs profile and the phenolic compounds. In addition, longissimus lumborum slices were stored in a modified atmosphere package for 3 days and then grilled to determine volatile compounds. Dietary carnosic acid did not modify the FAs profile, but had a clear effect on the production of volatile compounds, in a dose-dependent manner. These results have implications for the food industry, since dietary carnosic acid seems to extend the shelf life of lamb meat.

Nutritive evaluation of forages by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Since the potential of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy for forage evaluation was discovered three decades ago, it has become clear that it is a powerful tool for the estimation of chemical components in these feed-stuffs. In addition, it has been successfully applied for the estimation of digestibility and degradability parameters, thus facilitating livestock ration formulation. The present review deals with the main reference methods that have been used in order to achieve proper calibration of NIR spectroscopy. Special attention will be focused on the weak points of these procedures with the intention of increasing NIR spectroscopy potential in this area.

Programming Merino lambs by early feed restriction reduces growth rates and increases fat accretion during the fattening period with no effect on meat quality traits

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of early feed restriction on carcass and meat quality traits in Merino lambs. Twenty-four male Merino lambs (4.81±0.256kg) were assigned to two groups (12 animals in each group). The first group (ad libitum, ADL) was kept permanently with the dams. The second group (restricted, RES) was milk-restricted. After weaning (15kg), daily feed intake of all lambs was identical, but a lower gain: feed ratio was recorded in the RES group (0.320 vs. 0.261; P<0.001). After animals were slaughtered (27kg), lower ultimate pH and reduced yellow colouration of subcutaneous fat was recorded in meat from the RES lambs when compared to ADL group, whereas a trend towards a significant increment of intramuscular fat content and no effect on meat quality traits was observed in the RES lambs. Early feed restriction may be useful to increase intramuscular fat accretion in Merino lambs during the fattening period.

Effect of dietary supplementation with carnosic acid or vitamin E on animal performance, haematological and immunological characteristics of artificially reared suckling lambs before and after road transport

ABSTRACT To elucidate the influence of dietary carnosic acid (CA) and vitamin E on animal performance, immune response indicators and haematological parameters before and after transport stress, 24 lambs were individually fed ad libitum with milk replacer (MR) using an auto-feeder. Once daily the lambs received MR alone (Group CON, n = 8), MR + 0.096 g CA/kg live weight (LW) (Group CARN, n = 8) or MR + 0.024 g of α-tocopheryl acetate per kg LW (Group VitE, n = 8). After reaching the target slaughter weight (12 ± 0.5 kg), blood samples were collected to measure haematological and immunological parameters. Then, lambs were subjected to 4-h road transport and blood samples were collected again for haematological assessment. The animals were subsequently slaughtered. Before road transport, dietary CA supplementation promoted a descent of circulating white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), haematocrit and haemoglobin concentration when compared with Groups CON and VitE (p < 0.05), but it did not affect production of cytokines by blood mononuclear cells. Road transport did not affect either RBC or haematocrit significantly. Nevertheless, transport affected leucocyte profile similarly in all the treatments, increasing granulocytes and monocytes proportions and decreasing lymphocytes. In contrast, after transport, WBC was increased in Group CARN, reaching similar values than Groups CON and VitE. However, under conditions of the present study, those modifications did not influence animal performance or immunity parameters of artificially reared suckling lambs.