The carcass and meat quality characteristics of Japanese quail fed a diet supplemented with powdered Lactuca seriola leaves

The present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Lactuca serriola leaves on growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and its antioxidant stability of Japanese quails. A total of eighty growing quails (1-week old) were distributed into 2 equal groups consisting of 40 birds (5 replicates of 8 birds each). The first group was fed a basal diet without Lactuca serriola leaves (0 g.kg-1 diet) and the second group received diets containing 20 g.kg-1 Lactuca serriola leaves. At age of 6 weeks, quails were slaughtered for meat and carcass examinations. The growth performance for the quails fed with Lactuca serriola leaves diet was similar to that of a control group. Carcass measurements, physical properties, and chemical composition of quail breast meat did not differ between the control and experimental group. However, the inclusion of Lactuca serriola leaves significantly increased the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid content and improved breast meat lipid stability during postmortem refrigerated storage compared to the control diet. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Lactuca serriola leaves can improve the performance of Japanese quail enrich its meat with an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, and reduce lipid oxidation during storage

Influence of gas stunning and halal slaughter (no stunning) on rabbits welfare indicators and meat quality

This study assessed the effect of gas stunning which has not been conducted until now in comparison with slaughter without stunning on the welfare and meat quality of rabbits. Eighty male New Zealand White rabbits were divided into two groups of 40 animals and subjected to either halal slaughter without stunning (HS) or gas stunning using 61.4% CO2, 20.3% oxygen and 18.3 % nitrogen (GS). Analysis of the sticking blood revealed that both slaughter procedures caused a substantial increase in the levels of catecholamines, hypercalcemia, hyperglycemia, lactic acidemia and an increase in enzyme activities. The ultimate pH of the Longissimus lumborum muscle did not differ between treatments. GS exhibited higher lightness and cooking loss, and lower glycogen and MFI than HS. This indicates that both GS and HS can be significant stressors although the amount of stress may be below the threshold to negatively affect rabbit meat quality

Comparison of carcass and meat quality in goats subjected to preslaughter head-only electrical stunning or slaughtered without stunning

The effects of slaughter without stunning in comparison with head-only electrical stunning (HOES) on carcass hemorrhages and meat quality in goats were evaluated. Sixteen Boer crossbred bucks were subjected to either non-stun (NS) or HOES (1 A, for 3 s at 50 Hz). Meat quality traits such as pH, water holding capacity (WHC), color, tenderness, myofibril fragmentation index (MFI) and sarcomere length were assessed on semitendinosus (ST) muscle, while the incidences of hemorrhage were morphologically examined on shoulders and legs of each carcass. The results indicate no differences (p > 0.05) in meat quality traits between NS and HOES goats. However, carcasses obtained from the head-only electrically stunned goats had higher (p < 0.05) incidence of hemorrhages than those slaughtered without stunning. HOES prior slaughter increased carcass hemorrhages without adversely affecting meat quality traits in goats

Effects of dietary oil blend on fatty acid composition, oxidative stability and physicochemical properties of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle in goats

This study examined the effects of dietary blend of 80% canola oil and 20% palm oil (BCPO) on the physicochemical properties, antioxidant status, oxidative stability and fatty acid composition of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle from goats during chill storage. Over a 14-week feeding trial, 24 Boer bucks were randomly assigned to and supplemented with diets containing 0, 4 or 8% BCPO on a dry matter basis, slaughtered and the LTL was subjected to a 7 day chill storage. Neither diet nor post mortem ageing influenced (P > 0.05) antioxidant enzyme activities, chemical composition and cholesterol. Diet had no effect on the carbonyl content, free thiol content, water-holding capacity, tenderness, pH and glycogen. Oil-supplemented goats had higher (P 0.05) changes were found in the proportion of individual fatty acids throughout storage. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased while total saturated fatty acids increased as storage progressed. Dietary BCPO enhanced n-3 PUFA without compromising the quality attributes of chevon

Myofibrillar protein, lipid and myoglobin oxidation, antioxidant profile, physicochemical and sensory properties of Caprine longissimus thoracis during postmortem conditioning

The study examined the impact of refrigerated storage on antioxidant profile, oxidative changes in myoglobin, lipids and myofibrillar proteins and quality attributes of longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle from goats. Analyses were conducted on LT obtained from carcasses of sixteen Boer bucks on 0, 1, 5 and 10 days postmortem. Ageing had no effect on antioxidant enzyme activities. Concentration of tocopherols and total carotenoids decreased over storage. Myoglobin, metmyoglobin reducing activity, redness and shear force decreased while metmyoglobin content and drip loss increased over storage. Free thiol decreased while carbonyls and TBARS increased over storage. The relative density of myosin heavy chain, actin and troponin T and the concentration of n−6 and n−3 fatty acids were stable until day 5 but declined afterward. Tocopherol and carotenoid were correlated (P < 0.05) with oxidative changes. Ageing did not affect consumer preference for juiciness, flavor and overall acceptability. However, preference for tenderness increased over storage

Physico-chemical properties of breast muscle in broiler chickens fed probiotics, antibiotics or antibiotic–probiotic mix

This study investigated the efficacy of antibiotics, probiotics and their combination on meat quality of breast muscle in broilers. A total of 480 male one-day-old Cobb chicks were randomly assigned to control (without additive), antibiotic growth promoter (AGP), Bioplus® (probiotics), or AGP + Bioplus® and raised for 42 d. Each treatment was replicated six times with 20 birds per replicate. At the end of rearing period, 10 birds were randomly selected from each treatment, slaughtered and the breast muscles were excised for meat quality analyses. The results showed that all additives influenced drip and cooking loses, pH, fat content and colour attributes of breast muscle but did not affect tenderness, muscle glycogen, moisture, crude protein and ash content of breast muscle. Both drip and cooking losses were lower in treatment groups than those in the control group. Birds fed sole probiotics had the least pH, drip loss and cooking loss compared with the other treatments. Sole probiotics-fed birds had higher lightness, redness and yellowness values and lower fat value than the other treatments on day 1 post-mortem. The results indicate that probiotics are good substitutes for antibiotics in the diet of broiler chickens for the enhancement of meat quality

Fatty acid composition, cholesterol and antioxidant status of infraspinatus muscle, liver and kidney of goats fed blend of palm oil and canola oil

The study assessed the lipid profile, cholesterol and antioxidant status of infraspinatus muscle, kidney and liver from goats supplemented with increasing levels of blend of 20% palm oil and 80% canola oil. Twenty-four Boer bucks were randomly assigned to diets containing 0, 4 and 8% oil blend, fed for 100 d and slaughtered. The tissues were subjected to 7 d postmortem storage at 4 °C. Diet did not affect total lipid and cholesterol content in the tissues. The proportions of C14:0 in infraspinatus muscle and kidney, and C15:0 in all tissues were lower (p < 0.05) while the proportion of C18:3n:3 was greater in supplemented goats than the control goats. Proportion of C18:1n-9 in infraspinatus muscle was higher (p < 0.05) in goats fed oil blend than the control goats. The liver and the infraspinatus muscle of the control goats had higher C18:1 trans-10 but lower C18:1 trans-11 compared with those fed other diets. Diet had no effect on catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities, and the concentration of γ and δ-tocopherol and lipid oxidation in all tissues. The concentrations of α-tocopherol and total carotenoid were greater in the tissues of oil-fed goats compared with the control goats. Regardless of tissue, the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were stable throughout storage. Lipid oxidative stability, glutathione peroxidase activity, tocopherol and carotenoid contents in the tissues decreased (p < 0.05) as postmortem storage progressed. Dietary 20% palm oil and 80% canola oil blend modified the fatty acids in goat meat and offal without compromising their oxidative stability

A comparison of bleeding efficiency, microbiological quality and lipid oxidation in goats subjected to conscious halal slaughter and slaughter following minimal anesthesia

The study assessed the effect of conscious halal slaughter and slaughter following minimal anesthesia on bleeding efficiency of goats and keeping quality of goat meat. Ten Boer cross bucks were divided into two groups and subjected to either halal slaughter without stunning (HS) or minimal anesthesia prior to slaughter (AS). The blood lost during exsanguination was measured. Residual blood was further quantified by determination of hemoglobin and myoglobin content in longissimus lumborum muscle. Storage stability of the meat was evaluated by microbiological analysis and lipid oxidation. Blood loss at exsanguination, residual hemoglobin and lipid oxidation were not significantly different (p>0.05) between HS and AS. Lactic acid bacteria was the only microbe that was significantly elevated after 24h of storage at 4°C in the AS group. In conclusion, slaughtering goats under minimal anesthesia or fully conscious did not affect bleeding efficiency and keeping quality of goat meat

Impact of chill storage on antioxidant status, lipid and protein oxidation, color, drip loss and fatty acids of semimembranosus muscle in goats

The study examined the effect of refrigerated storage on antioxidant activities, lipid and protein oxidation, fatty acids (FAs), drip loss and color of semimembranosus (SM) muscle from goats. Samples of SM were obtained from carcasses of 15 Boer bucks (7 months old; body weight, 32.18 ± 0.81 kg) subjected to an 8 d storage at 4°C. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities were stable while carotenoid, tocopherol, water holding capacity and redness declined (P 0.05) from 14.00 to 13.08 density/mm2. The concentrations of n-3 and n-6 FA decreased while the saturated FA increased over storage. Correlations (P < 0.05) were found between antioxidant vitamins and quality indicators of chevon

High frequency pre-slaughter electrical stunning in ruminants and poultry for halal meat production: a review

The use of high and low electrical frequencies in pre-slaughter electrical stunning and their implications for meat quality and animal welfare in ruminants and poultry are reviewed. There are different views regarding the appropriateness of high and low frequency stunning with respect to religious and animal welfare requirements. High electrical frequency when applied head-to-back does not initiate cardiac arrest, reduces carcass damage, enhances bleeding efficiency and eliminates the need for subsequent electrical immobilization for operator's safety. Conversely, low frequency when similarly applied kills the animal, which has animal welfare advantages, but reduces bleeding efficiency and negatively affects the quality of meat. The ability of high frequency to effectively stun without killing the stunned animal enables the process to meet this fundamental requirement for halal slaughtering when used in head-to-back in ruminants and water bath electrical stunning in poultry. Thus, it is necessary to appraise the efficacy of high and low frequency stunning in order to optimize meat quality and animal welfare attributes vis-a-vis their compliance with halal requirements