• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.7
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• pp.1019-1025
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• 2006

Two experiments were conducted separately to study the effect of astaxanthin on production performance and egg quality in laying hens and meat quality in finishing pigs. In Experiment 1, four hundred Brown Hy-Line layers, 26 weeks of age, were randomly divided into five treatments according to a single factorial arrangement. Each treatment had four replicates comprising 20 birds each. The dietary treatments were: 0, 0.7, 0.9, 1.1 and 1.3 ppm of astaxanthin fed for 14 days. Then all the birds were fed an astaxanthin-free diet (0 ppm astaxanthin) for an additional 7 days. The results showed that dietary astaxanthin had no significant effect on layer production performance. There was no significant effect (p>0.05) on egg weight, yolk height and Haugh unit (HU) with increasing dietary astaxanthin level and increased storage time. Yolk color was linearly increased (p<0.01) with the increasing dietary astaxanthin level and significantly decreased with the increasing storage time (p<0.05). The TBARS value in yolk decreased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing amount of dietary astaxanthin and storage time. When the diets were replaced with the astaxanthin-free feeds, all parameters concerning egg quality decreased with increasing days of measurement, especially the yolk color, and HU significantly decreased (p<0.05). In experiment 2, thirty-six barrows ($L{\times}Y{\times}D$), $107{\pm}3.1kg$ BW, were randomly divided into three treatments according to a single factorial arrangement. Each treatment had three replicates comprising 4 pigs each. The dietary treatments were: 0, 1.5 and 3.0 ppm of astaxanthin fed for 14 days. The results showed that dietary astaxanthin had no significant effects on production performance. There was a linear effect (p<0.05) on dressing percentage, backf.at thickness and loin muscle area with increasing dietary astaxanthin level. There were no significant effects (p>0.05) on the TBARS value, drip loss, meat color, marbling and $L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$ values. Cholesterol concentration in meat was not affected by dietary addition of astaxanthin. It could be concluded that astaxanthin supplementation was beneficial to improve egg yolk color; egg quality during storage and it also could improve the meat quality of finishing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.10
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• pp.1425-1434
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• 2017

Objective: The main objective of this study was to determine the effect of different diets for early-weaned (EW) calves on rumen development, and how this affects fat deposition in the longissimus dorsi of adult Korean Hanwoo beef cattle. Methods: Three EW groups were established (each n = 12) in which two- week-old Hanwoo calves were fed for ten weeks with milk replacer+concentrate (T1), milk replacer+concentrate+roughage (T2), or milk replacer+concentrate+30% starch (T3); a control group (n = 12) was weaned as normal. At six months, 5 calves of each group were slaughtered and their organs were assessed and rumen papillae growth rates were measured. The remaining calves (n = 7 in each group) were raised to 20 months for further analysis. Results: Twenty-month-old EW calves had a higher body weight (BW), backfat thickness (BF), longissimus dorsi muscle area (LMA) and intramuscular fat (IMF) than the control (p<0.05). Organ growth, rumen histology, and gene expression patterns in the 6-month-old calves were positively related to the development of marbling in the loin, as assessed by ultrasound analysis (p<0.05). In the group fed the starch-enriched diet (T3), higher BW, BF, LMA, and IMF were present. The IMF beef quality score of 20-month-old cattle was 1+ for the T2 and T3 diets and 1 for the T1 diet (p<0.05). Conclusion: Papillae development was significantly greater in calves fed on high-concentrate diets and this may have resulted in the improved beef quality in the EW dietary groups compared to the control.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.8
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• pp.1284-1291
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• 2020

Objective: To evaluate the effects of the carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes cv. Orelha de Elefante Mexicana (Opuntia) and Miúda (Nopalea) on the intake and digestibility of nutrients, ingestive behavior, performance, and ultrasound measurements of growing lambs. Methods: Thirty-six male (non-castrated) Santa Inês lambs were used, with an average age of 6 months and an initial average weight of 22.0±2.9 kg. They were distributed in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments (Tifton hay, Nopalea and Opuntia) and 12 replications, using initial weight as a covariate. The experimental period was 86 days, with the first 30 days used for the adaptation of the animals to the facilities, diets and management, and the remaining 56 days used for evaluation and data collection. Results: The intake and apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TC), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) showed a significant difference (p<0.05) as a function of the diets, with the Nopalea treatment (p<0.05) increasing DM intake (g/kg and % body weight [BW]), CP, TDN, and TC digestibility, whereas the Tifton hay diet led to a high (p<0.001) neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap) g/d intake, NDFap (BW %) and digestibility of said nutrient. There was no effect of treatments (p>0.05) on feeding time, however, rumination time and total chewing time were higher (p<0.05) for animals fed Tifton hay. The performance of the animals was similar (p>0.05). For the ultrasound measurements, Nopalea promoted an increase in the final loin eye area, compared to Tifton hay. Conclusion: The use of spineless cactus variety Miúda leads to the greater intake and digestibility of nutrients. The evaluated carmine cochineal-resistant spineless cactus genotypes are alternatives for semi-arid regions as they do not negatively affect the performance of growing lambs.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.157-170
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• 1999

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Scoria, Quartz porphyry and Oak charcoal powder feeding by 1% level of concentrate on the fattening cross bred bulls(5/8 Korean Native Cattle, 2/8 Charolais, 1/8 Brahman germ plasma) Feeding trial was conducted with 4 treatment groups which were T1(Full feeding of concentrate and roughage for 12 months), T2(T1 and Scoria addition), T3(T1 and Quartz porphyry addition) and T4(Oak charcoal addition) for 360 days, consisting of 32 heads whose initially weights were about 299.7kg. The results obtained are summarized as follows; 1. During the over-all period, average daily gains by T3, T4, T2 and T1 were 1.024, 0.987, 0.977kg and 0.964, respectively, without a significant difference by treatments. 2. Concentrate intakes per body weight and TDN intakes required per unit of kilogram gain were lower in addition agent groups than in control, and in all the treatments feed efficiency was higher at early stage for 360 fattening day than at end stage. 3. Carcass weight, dressing percent, back-fat thickness and loin eye muscle area by treatments were 330.9 to 348.4kg(average 340.3kg), 55.2~56.2(average 55.8%), 0.41~0.55(average 0.46cm)and 76.0~80.9$\textrm{cm}^2$(average 77.6$\textrm{cm}^2$), respectively, and were improved in addition agent groups than in control. 4. Meat quality grade is higher in addition agent groups than in control, and heads of 1st grade by treatments was 3, 2, 1 and none in T4, T2, T3 and T1, respectively. 5. Incidence heads of diseases by treatment were not apparently different, but diseases of digestive system was decreased in addition agent groups than in control. 6. The nitrate nitrogen content of fattening bull dung which collected in rectum were 0.082~0.089% (average 0.084%), and the content in addition agent groups was smaller than in controll. 7. Income was higher in order of T4, T3, T2, and T1 and incomes of treatment groups were grater than that of control group by 21.4 to 33.5 percent. According to the above results it may be concluded that fattening bulls may be required to feed no more than 1% of Scoria, Quartz porphyry and Oak charcoal powder based on the concentrate feeding level during the fattening period(12 to 24 month of age) to produce high quality meat and increase income.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.9
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• pp.1475-1481
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• 2019

Objective: The objective of the present study was to investigate pork quality from Hereford${\times}$Berkshire female and intact male pigs reared outdoors in an alternative production system. Methods: Berkshire purebred sows were artificially inseminated, once in the fall and again in the spring of the following year, with semen from Hereford boars and managed free of antibiotics in an outdoor hoop structure until the last month of pregnancy, after which they were moved to a pasture-based unit of 0.8 hectares with individual lots with a farrowing hut, shade, and water ad libitum. Piglets were weaned at 4 weeks of age and housed in a deep-bedded hoop structure, grouped by sex. Animals were harvested at market weight of 125 kg, approximately 200 days of age. Hot carcass weight was collected at the time of the harvest. After 24 hours of refrigeration, carcass characteristics were measured. Longissimus dorsi samples collected from the right side loin. Loins were cut into 2.54-cm thick chops and were used to measure marbling score, color score, drip loss, and ultimate pH. Sensory panel tests were conducted as well at North Carolina State University. For pork characteristics and sensory panel data, trial and sex were included in the statistical model as fixed effects. Hot carcass weight was included in the model as a covariate for backfat thickness. Results: Neither the subjective nor the objective color scores displayed any differences between the boars and the gilts. No difference was found for pH and marbling score between trials or sexes. Gilts had a thicker backfat measurement at the last lumbar and a narrower longissimus muscle area measurement when compared to the boars. The only difference in the sensory characteristics was found between the trials for texture and moisture scores. Conclusion: Consumers were not able to detect boar taint under the condition of this study, which is that the intact males were reared outdoors. Additional trials would be necessary; however, based on the results of the present study, outdoor rearing can be suggested as a solution to the issue of boar taint.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.1008-1017
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• 2021

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of different fattening periods on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, and economic traits of Holstein steers. Sixty Holstein steers (8.0 ± 0.28 months old) with an average body weight (BW) of 231.88 ± 2.61 kg, were randomly allocated to five different fattening period treatments: 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 months (n = 12 in each treatment group). Final BW and average daily gain (ADG) did not differ among the treatment groups during the early fattening period. At the late stage of the fattening period, the final BW of steers in the 24-month treatment group (812.84 kg) was greater (p < 0.05) than that of steers in the 20-month treatment group (750.39 kg). During the same period, steers in the 20- and 21-month treatment groups had a significantly higher (p < 0.05) ADG than those in the 22-month treatment group. The highest ADG (1.36 kg/day) was found in the 20-month treatment group (1.36), followed by the 21- (1.33 kg/day), 22- (1.22 kg/day), 23- (1.21 kg/day), and 24- (1.14 kg/day) month treatment groups. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased as the fattening period increased, and the FCR was 12.88% lower in the 20-month treatment group than in the 24-month treatment group. However, no significant differences were detected in back-fat thickness, loin area, marbling score, and chemical characteristics (water, crude protein, and crude fat content) among the treatment groups. The composition of fatty acids including C18:0, C18:1, saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and poly-unsaturated fatty acids did not differ among the experimental groups. As the fattening period increased, production costs increased, resulting in a decrease in gross income. The gross income for steers in the 24-month treatment group was 35.8% and 23.5% lower than that for steers in the 20- and 21-month treatment groups, respectively. Taken together, the best performance, including the ADG, FCR, and gross income, was obtained when the fattening program of the Holstein steers lasted 20 months.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.648-658
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• 2022

Objective: The identification of nonlinear mixed models that describe the growth trajectory of New Zealand rabbits was performed based on weight records and carcass measures obtained using ultrasonography. Methods: Phenotypic records of body weight (BW) and loin eye area (LEA) were collected from 66 animals raised in a didactic-productive module of cuniculture located in the southern Piaui state, Brazil. The following nonlinear models were tested considering fixed parameters: Brody, Gompertz, Logistic, Richards, Meloun 1, modified Michaelis-Menten, Santana, and von Bertalanffy. The coefficient of determination (R²), mean squared error, percentage of convergence of each model (%C), mean absolute deviation of residuals, Akaike information criterion (AIC), and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) were used to determine the best model. The model that best described the growth trajectory for each trait was also used under the context of mixed models, considering two parameters that admit biological interpretation (A and k) with random effects. Results: The von Bertalanffy model was the best fitting model for BW according to the highest value of R² (0.98) and lowest values of AIC (6,675.30) and BIC (6,691.90). For LEA, the Logistic model was the most appropriate due to the results of R² (0.52), AIC (783.90), and BIC (798.40) obtained using this model. The absolute growth rates estimated using the von Bertalanffy and Logistic models for BW and LEA were 21.51g/d and 3.16 cm², respectively. The relative growth rates at the inflection point were 0.028 for BW (von Bertalanffy) and 0.014 for LEA (Logistic). Conclusion: The von Bertalanffy and Logistic models with random effect at the asymptotic weight are recommended for analysis of ponderal and carcass growth trajectories in New Zealand rabbits. The inclusion of random effects in the asymptotic weight and maturity rate improves the quality of fit in comparison to fixed models.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.805-825
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• 2023

This experiment aims to investigate the impact of probiotic feed on growth performance, carcass traits, plasma lipid biochemical parameters, intramuscular fat and triglyceride content, fatty acid composition, mRNA expression levels of genes related to lipid metabolism, and the activity of the enzyme in Sunit sheep. In this experiment, 12 of 96 randomly selected Sunit sheep were assigned to receive the basic diet or the basic diet supplemented with probiotics. The results showed that supplementation with probiotics significantly increased the loin eye area, and decreased plasma triglycerides and free fatty acids, increasing the content of intramuscular fat and triglycerides in the muscle and improving the composition of the fatty acids. The inclusion of probiotics in the diet reduced the expression of adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase alpha 2 (AMPKα2) mRNA and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1B (CPT1B) mRNA, while increasing the expression of acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha (ACCα) mRNA, sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c) mRNA, fatty acid synthase mRNA, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 mRNA. The results of this study indicate that supplementation with probiotics can regulate fat deposition and improves the composition of fatty acids in Sunit sheep through the signaling pathways AMPK-ACC-CPT1B and AMPK-SREBP-1c. This regulatory mechanism leads to an increase in intramuscular fat content, a restructuring of muscle composition of the fatty acids, and an enhancement of the nutritional value of meat. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the food science of animal resources and provide valuable references for the production of meat of higher nutritional value.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.9-15
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• 2003

All diets were based on feeds of fattening period pigs(LY x D, ca. 90 kg) with six treatments, which were the control, containing 5% beef tallow(C), 3% beef tallows and 2% perilla seeds oil(T1), 250 ppm vit. E(${\alpha}$-tocopheryl acetate) in T1(T2), 3% beef tallow and 2% squid viscera oil(T3), 250 ppm vit. E in T3(T4), and 3% beef tallow and 2% CLA(T5), respectively. Produced porks and their carcass characteristics were as follows. The daily gain of pigs was higher in T2 and 73 than any other treatments(p<0.05). Its T2 and T3 was 3.71 and 3.80 respectively, however, there was no significance in feed intake. The highest back fat thickness was shown in control group on market weight, while there was no significant difference on their initial weight. Loin-eye muscle area did not show any significant difference on initial weight and on market weight, however, its T5 was about twice as large as T2's. Content of triglyceride in blood was high in control group as compared to others; especially, the values for T3, T4 and T5 were significantly low(p <0.05). There was no significant difference in total cholesterol contents, and the ratio of HDL cholesterol/total cholesterol was higher in vit. E treated samples than untreated sample. Atherogenic index was high in sample with T3 and low in sample with T2. The perilla seed oil, squid fish oil, and vit. E decreased atherogenic index. Dressing percentage, back fat thickness, and grade did not show any significant difference(p >0.05); however, T2, C and T3, T1 and T5 showed 4.67, 4.29, 4.00 respectively, in grades.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.367-375
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• 2011

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of the level of cracked whole barley on daily feed intake, daily body weight gain, carcass characteristics and meat composition of finishing Hanwoo steers (feeding from 24 months to 30 months of age). The dietary treatments were consisted of five types (C; normal concentrate as a basal diet, T1; 10% addition of cracked whole barley, T2; 20% addition of cracked whole barley, T3; 30% addition of cracked whole barley, T4; 40% addition of cracked whole barley). A total 30 Hanwoo steers (588.6${\pm}$11.8kg) were allocated to 5 feeding groups. The daily feed intake and daily body weight gain were high in the order of T2 > T3 >T4 > T1 > C. The back fat thickness and longissmus muscle area were highest in C and T1, respectively (P<0.05) than other treatments. The meat yield index decreased with increased back fat thickness. The marbling score and meat quality were highest in T1 (P<0.01, 0.05, respectively), but maturity, fat color and meat color were not significantly different among treatments. The crude fat was highest in T1 (17.59%), while in T4 (7.47%) it was lowest (P<0.05). The crude protein and crude ash were not significantly different among treatments. The energy value of cracked whole barley treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4) was higher than C (P<0.05). The contents of Ca, Cu, K, Mg, Mo, Na and Zn were higher in C than the other treatments (P<0.01), but Co was higher in T2 (P<0.01). The CIE $L^*$ value of whole cracked barley treatments (T1, T2, T3, T4) was higher than C, however there were not differences among the treatments. The CIE $a^*$ value was highest in T1(P<0.05) than others. The CIE $b^*$ value was highest in C and it was decreased with increased feeding of cracked whole barley. Based on the above results, T1 treatment compared to other treatments improved the carcass quality parameters like loin muscle area, marbling score, meat quality, and CIE $L^*$ value.