• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.597-602
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• 2010

In this study, pigs [n=117; (Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire) ${\times}$ Duroc; $64{\pm}0.5$ Kg initial body weight] were used to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of lacquer (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) meal on performance, carcass traits and quality of meat kept under refrigeration at $3{\pm}1^{\circ}C$. The pigs were randomly allotted to 3 treatments on the basis of body weight and sex and each treatment was replicated 3 times (13 pigs in each replicate). Lacquer meal in sawdust form obtained from the stem bark and heartwood of sun-dried lacquer trees was added to the grower and finisher diets at 0, 20 and 40 g/kg diet. The experimental diets were fed for 8 wk. Inclusion of lacquer meal had no influence (p>0.05) on growth performance of pigs. Improvement in carcass traits and decreased back fat thickness were noticed in pigs fed diets added with 20 and 40 g/kg lacquer meal. Longissimus muscle obtained from pigs fed lacquer meal had higher moisture and lower fat content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and water holding capacity. Meat from lacquer fed pigs was also darker and redder. The data indicates that lacquer meal can be incorporated up to 40 g/kg in the diet of fattening pigs without affecting growth performance. Also, lacquer meal increases carcass lean content and improves the oxidative stability of the meat.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels of lacquer (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) meal on the growth performance, carcass traits, fatty acid profile and meat quality of longissmuss dorsi (LD) muscle in finishing pigs. Pigs (n = 117; Landrace$\times$Yorkshire$\times$Duroc; initial body weight $80{\pm}0.4kg$) were allotted to three dietary treatments and fed lacquer at 0, 2 and 4% of the diet for five weeks. Inclusion of lacquer meal in the diets of pigs had no influence on their growth performance, carcass yield, loin eye area and fat free lean; however, pigs fed lacquer diets had lower backfat (linear, p = 0.006; quadratic, p = 0.004). Pigs fed increasing levels of lacquer meal had lower moisture (linear, p<0.001; quadratic, p = 0.008), crude fat (linear, p<0.001) and crude protein (linear, p<0.001; quadratic, p = 0.002) in LD muscle. The LD muscle of pigs fed lacquer meal had lower pH (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) at 6, 8 and 10 days, and linearly lower thio-barbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS, p<0.01) at 8 and 10 days and water holding capacity (WHC, p<0.05) at 3, 6, 8 and 10 days. The fatty acid composition of LD muscle revealed linearly lower stearic (p = 0.034) and total saturated fatty acid (p = 0.049) with increasing dietary lacquer meal levels. In general, higher lightness, redness and yellowness values were observed in LD muscle of pigs fed 2% lacquer meal on day 0 and subsequently on 3, 6, 8 and 10 days of refrigerated storage. The results of the current study suggest that lacquer meal can be incorporated up to 4% in the diet of finishing pigs without any adverse effects on performance; moreover, improvements in the meat quality during refrigerated storage can be obtained by inclusion of lacquer meal in the diet of finishing pigs.