• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.8
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• pp.1345-1357
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• 2018

Objective: This study examined the influence of dietary supplementation of Nigella sativa seeds, Rosmarinus officinalis leaves and their combination on carcass attributes, fatty acid (FA) composition, gene expression, lipid oxidation and physicochemical properties of longissimus dorsi (LD), semitendinosus (ST), and supraspinatus (SS) muscles in Dorper lambs. Methods: Twenty-four Dorper lambs ($18.68{\pm}0.6kg$, 4 to 5 months old) were randomly assigned to a concentrate mixture containing either, no supplement (control, T1), 1% Rosmarinus officinalis leaves (T2), 1% Nigella sativa seeds (T3), or 1% Rosmarinus officinalis leaves+1% Nigella sativa seeds (T4) on a dry matter basis. The lambs were fed the treatments with urea-treated rice straw for 90 days, slaughtered and the muscles were subjected to a 7 d postmortem chill storage. Results: The T2 lambs had greater (p<0.05) slaughter and cold carcass weights than the control lambs. Dietary supplements did not affect (p>0.05) chill loss, dressing percentage, carcass composition, intramuscular fat and muscle pH in Dorper lambs. Meat from supplemented lambs had lower (p<0.05) cooking and drip losses, shear force, lightness, and lipid oxidation and greater (p<0.05) redness compared with the control meat. The impact of dietary supplements on muscle FA varied with muscle type. Diet had no effect (p>0.05) on the expression of stearoyl-CoA desaturase and lipoprotein lipase genes in LD and ST muscles in Dorper lambs. The T2 and T3 diets up regulated the expression of AMP-activated protein kinase alpha 2 gene in LD and ST muscles and up regulated the expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 in ST muscle in Dorper lambs. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of Nigella sativa seeds and Rosmarinus officinalis leaves had beneficial effects on meat quality in Dorper lambs.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.310-318
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• 2004

Eating quality is a reflection of consumer satisfaction, while beef quality grade describes carcass characteristics of chiller assessment which are largely influenced by production systems including breeding and feeding schemes. On the other hand, it should be emphasized that high palatability of beef is a function of production and processing components including breed, nutrition, animal handling, post-slaughter intervention and cookery. Numerous efforts have been made by Korean beef industry and research institutes to deliver high quality beef with which domestic beef consumers are satisfied. However, majority of studies have tended to focus on improvement of intramuscular fat content with little attention on its effect on consumer-based eating quality. Furthermore, there is very limited accessible information(if any) on relative importance of eating characteristics (eg, tenderness, juiciness and flavor intensity) to consumer satisfactory rate and palatability grade. On this regard, our recent results indicated, for example, that when m. longissimus was prepared by a thin-slice style BBQ, relative weightings of tenderness, juiciness and flavor intensity for consumer satisfactory rate were 0.4, 0.35 and 0.25, respectively. When eating quality was graded into 4 groups by a sum of tenderness, juiciness and flavor intensity after multiplying these coefficients, consumers responded that the palatability score for high quality beef should be higher than 79 points. Based on our recent experiments, the current report is intended to highlight relative importance of eating quality characteristics on consumer satisfactory rate, and threshold of eating quality grade. In addition, post-slaughter intervention techniques such as electrical stimulation and tenderstretch are given as examples of critical control points of palatability assurance program of Hanwoo beef.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.667-672
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• 2020

It is well known that intensive selection caused a decline in reproductive performance in dairy cattle. Interestingly, the reproductive performances including fertility and calving interval of Korean native beef cattle have declined in the last 20 years, suggesting that a breeding program focusing on carcass weight and intramuscular fat may affect the reproductive physiology in Korean native beef cattle, too. In this study, we analyzed the calving interval (CI) and selection index (SI) based on genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of Hanwoo cows for seven years (2013 - 2019). Multiparous cows (4.5 ± 0.11) were analyzed, which were bred by artificial insemination (AI). We first examined the distribution of the AIs and calving dates. About 40% of the AIs were carried out in May to June and October to December; subsequently, calving was observed from March to April and August to October, respectively, indicating the cows were seasonally bred. No correlation between CI and SI was found (y = 0.0459x - 17.64; R² = 0.0356), but the ratio of cows with a positive SI was higher in the longer CI group compared to the shorter group, suggesting that the selection for meat quality and quantity may affect the reproductive performances. In addition, the average value of SI was - 3.42 in the CI < 400 while + 5.79 in the CI > 400 although the values were not statistically significant. However, our results suggest that reproductive indices such as fertility and CI should be considered for sustainability in the Hanwoo breeding selection program.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.414-427
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• 2012

Carcass characteristics and meat quality traits as a function of endpoint months of slaughter age (26 vs 32 mon) and chiller ageing (1 vs 10 d) were evaluated for m. longissmus of 26 Hanwoo steers fed with commercial diets including whole crop barley silage. Totally twenty six Hanwoo steers for 6 mon of age that were fed until 26 mon of age constituted the short term-fed group and fed until 32 mon of age constituted long-term fed group. Carcasses were chilled for 24 h and were graded. Strip loin samples were divided into two age groups (1 d and 10 d). Long-term feeding increased carcass weight, rib-eye area, yield grade, marbling score, firmness and quality grade of the meat. The feeding for 32 mon produced tender, juicy meat (p<0.01) with lower cooking loss and higher rating score (p<0.05) than short term feeding, while other quality traits were not influenced by the length of feeding. Intramuscular fat content and oxidative stability (TBARS value) were significantly (p<0.05) higher in beef from long-term feeding however the length of feeding did not alter the fatty acid composition. Chiller aging reduced instrumental tenderness (WBSF value), improved color, sensory tenderness, acceptability and rating of beef. The results of the present study mirrors that Hanwoo steers until 32 mon of age overall improved carcass traits and palatability compared to that for 26 mon. However, from the viewpoints of economical and environmental aspects, cost of the additional feeding for 6 mon for value-adding of eating quality was relatively high and the effects in turn were limited.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.904-913
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• 2021

Objective: Marbling or intramuscular fat (IMF) has been widely reported to directly impact the sensory acceptance of meat. This study was carried out to determine the physical and sensory characteristics of ribeye, Longissimus dorsi steaks obtained from four different cattle breeds namely Wagyu, Angus, Brahman, and Malaysian local beef, the Kedah-Kelantan (KK). Methods: The degree of marbling was determined by using an established combined camera-image analysis technique while instrumental texture determination was carried out by using Warner-Bratzler shear force analysis. Sensory evaluation of the beef steaks was performed following a quantitative descriptive analysis incorporating 10 trained consumer panelists. Results: Wagyu was found to possess the highest (p<0.05) percentage of IMF at 33.90% and the lowest shear force (raw = 5.61 N/㎟; cooked = 14.72 N/㎟) followed by Angus (20.87%), Brahman (12.17%), and KK (p<0.05, 6.86%). The difference in sensory properties of the four steaks was evident, with Wagyu appearing to be highly correlated with most sensory attributes measured namely sustained buttery, tooth-packing, chewiness, juiciness, tenderness, mouthfeel, oiliness, and overall acceptability. The Malaysian local beef, KK was found to be less acceptable (p<0.05), although most of its sensory attributes were found similar (p>0.05) in appearance, aroma, texture, juiciness, and flavour to the cooked steak from Angus and Brahman. Conclusion: This present study demonstrated the role of IMF in determining the quality and sensory acceptance of beef from different cattle breeds. These data have provided new information and further understanding on the physical and sensory quality of Malaysian local beef.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.196-203
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• 2022

Objective: This study compared differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between groups with high and low numbers of fine marbling particles (NFMP) in the longissimus thoracis muscle (LT) of Korean cattle to understand the molecular events associated with fine marbling particle formation. Methods: The size and distribution of marbling particles in the LT were assessed with a computer image analysis method. Based on the NFMP, 10 LT samples were selected and assigned to either high- (n = 5) or low- (n = 5) NFMP groups. Using RNA sequencing, LT transcriptomic profiles were compared between the high- and low-NFMP groups. DEGs were selected at p<0.05 and |fold change| >2 and subjected to functional annotation. Results: In total, 328 DEGs were identified, with 207 up-regulated and 121 down-regulated genes in the high-NFMP group. Pathway analysis of these DEGs revealed five significant (p<0.05) Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathways; the significant terms included endocytosis (p = 0.023), protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (p = 0.019), and adipocytokine signaling pathway (p = 0.024), which are thought to regulate adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia. The expression of sirtuin4 (p<0.001) and insulin receptor substrate 2 (p = 0.043), which are associated with glucose uptake and adipocyte differentiation, was higher in the high-NFMP group than in the low-NFMP group. Conclusion: Transcriptome differences between the high- and low-NFMP groups suggest that pathways regulating adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy are involved in the marbling fineness of the LT.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.155-165
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• 2022

Objective: This study was performed to examine whether the porcine glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase 1 (GOT1) gene has important functions in regulating adipocyte differentiation. Methods: Porcine GOT1 knockout and overexpression vectors were constructed and transfected into the mouse adipogenic 3T3-L1 cells. Lipid droplets levels were measured after 8 days of differentiation. The mechanisms through which GOT1 participated in lipid deposition were examined by measuring the expression of malate dehydrogenase 1 (MDH1) and malic enzyme (ME1) and the cellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) content. Results: GOT1 knockout significantly decreased lipid deposition in the 3T3-L1 cells (p<0.01), whereas GOT1 overexpression significantly increased lipid accumulation (p<0.01). At the same time, GOT1 knockout significantly decreased the NADPH content and the expression of MDH1 and ME1 in the 3T3-L1 cells. Overexpression of GOT1 significantly increased the NADPH content and the expression of MDH1 and ME1, suggesting that GOT1 regulated adipocyte differentiation by altering the NADPH content. Conclusion: The results preliminarily revealed the effector mechanisms of GOT1 in regulating adipose differentiation. Thus, a theoretical basis is provided for improving the quality of pork and studies on diseases associated with lipid metabolism.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.677-689
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of concentrate level and chromium-methionine (Cr-Met) supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and fatty acid composition of Tan lambs. Methods: Sixty male Tan lambs (21±1.23 kg body weight) fed a finishing diet (concentrate-to-forage ratio: 35:65 [LC group] or 55:45 [HC group]) with daily Cr-Met supplementation (0, 0.75, or 1.50 g) were used in a completely randomized design with a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Results: Lambs from the HC group had higher average daily gain, dry matter (DM) digestibility, dressing percentages, leg proportions, intramuscular fat (IMF) contents, and saturated fatty acid levels, but lower feed conversion ratios, globulin (GLB) and total protein (TP) concentrations, shear force, and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) levels (all p<0.05). Cr-Met supplementation increased the DM digestibility, GLB and TP concentrations, rack and loin percentages, and cooking loss, but decreased the IMF contents and leg proportions (all p<0.05). Cr-Met supplementation at 0.75 g/d increased the conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content in both the HC and LC groups (p<0.01). Significant interactions between the concentrate level and Cr-Met dosage were observed for MUFA (p<0.01) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) (p<0.01) levels. Meat from the lambs fed an unsupplemented LC diet presented the highest PUFA and MUFA levels (p<0.01). However, the MUFA and PUFA levels decreased significantly with increasing Cr-Met supplementation levels in the LC group (p<0.01), whereas the opposite trend was seen in the HC group. Conclusion: The HC diet improved the growth performance of Tan lambs, increased their profitability by increasing leg and rack joint proportions, and improved meat quality by promoting an IMF content that was more visibly acceptable to consumers. Cr-Met supplementation at 0.75 g/d in a HC diet was the best choice and may be economically beneficial.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.197-219
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• 2023

Rabbit meat has high nutritional and dietetic characteristics, but its consumption rate is comparatively lower than other meat types. The nutritional profile of rabbit meat, by comparison with beef, pork, and poultry, is attributed to relatively higher proportions of n-3 fatty acids and low amounts of intramuscular fat, cholesterol, and sodium, indicating its consumption may provide health benefits to consumers. But, the quality attributes of rabbit meat can be originated from different factors such as genetics, environment, diet, rearing system, pre-, peri-, and post-slaughter conditions, and others. Different rabbit breeds and the anatomical location of muscles may also affect the nutritional profile and physicochemical properties of rabbit meat. However, adequate information about the effect of those two factors on rabbit meat is limited. Therefore, cumulative information on nutritional composition and carcass and meat quality attributes of rabbit meat in terms of different breeds and muscle types and associated factors is more important for the production and processing of rabbits. Moreover, some studies reported that rabbit meat proteins exhibited angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory characteristics and antioxidant properties. The aim of this review is to elucidate the determinants of rabbit meat quality of different breeds and its influencing factors. In addition, the proven biological activities of rabbit meat are introduced to ensure consumer satisfaction.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.1435-1444
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• 2023

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate Raman spectroscopy technique as a noninvasive tool to predict meat quality traits on Braford longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. Methods: Thirty samples of muscle from Braford steers were analyzed by classical meat quality techniques and by Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm laser excitation. Water holding capacity (WHC), intramuscular fat content (IMF), cooking loss (CL), and texture profile analysis recording hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness were determined, along with fiber diameter and sarcomere length by scanning electron microscopy. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis was used to differentiate tender and tough meat groups. Results: Higher values of cohesiveness and CL, together with lower values of WHC, IMF, and shorter sarcomere were obtained for tender meat samples than for the tougher ones. Raman spectra analysis allows tender and tough sample differentiation. The correlation between the quality attributes predicted by Raman and the physical measurements resulted in values of R² = 0.69 for hardness and 0,58 for WBSF. Pearson's correlation coefficient of hardness (r = 0.84) and WBSF (r = 0.79) parameters with the phenylalanine Raman signal at 1,003 cm^-1, suggests that the content of this amino acid could explain the differences between samples. Conclusion: Raman spectroscopy with 785 nm laser excitation is a suitable and accurate technique to identify beef with different quality attributes.