Growth parameters and meat quality of finishing hogs supplemented with creatine monohydrate and a high glycemic carbohydrate for the last 30 days of production

Skeletal muscle mass, meat quality and antioxidant status in growing lambs supplemented with guanidinoacetic acid

Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) exists naturally as a precursor of creatine, which possesses several biological functions. In the present study, the effects of dietary GAA supplementation on skeletal muscle mass and meat quality of lambs were investigated. The GAA supplementation increased final body weight, promoted muscle mass and changed the distribution of myofiber size. Meanwhile, elevated ultimate pH and water holding capacity (WHC) of resulting meat were observed in GAA fed lambs. Moreover, the total antioxidative capacity was elevated. Dietary GAA accelerated myofibril protein synthesis through regulation with IGF-1/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and minimized protein breakdown via regulating abundances of myostatin and phosphorylated FoxO1. In vitro, GAA treatment inhibited sheep primary myoblasts proliferation, and enhanced its myogenic potential. Collectively, these results suggested that GAA might be a feed additive for use by the lamb meat industry as it has potential to improve growth performance, antioxidant status and WHC of resulting meat.

Effect of amino acids and their derivatives on meat quality of finishing pigs

Amino acids provide key nutritional value, and significantly contribute to taste and flavor of meat. Here, we review the role of free amino acids in the muscle fibers in meat quality and sensory signals. We furthermore discuss how dietary supplementation of free amino acids and their derivatives (e.g. tryptophan, threonine, arginine, lysine, leucine, glutamate, threonine, sarcosine, betaines, and cysteamine) can influence these attributes. The available data shows that the quality of the meat is subject to the amino acids that are provided in the animal feed.

Effects of gender and diet on back fat and loin area ultrasound measurements during the growth and final stage of fattening in Iberian pigs

Abstract. Reared in extensive parcels, 50 castrated or spayed Iberian pigs were fattened with conventional or high-oleic-concentrate diets to evaluate the effect of diet and sex on the measurements of the loin area depth, back fat thickness and its layers during the last 6 months before slaughter at eight time points in two anatomical locations by serial scans. The scan was the factor that had the greatest influence, followed by sex and diet. Back fat thickness at 10th rib level was higher than at 14th rib level. The thickness of the outer, middle and inner layers progressively increased over the study period. Throughout the experimental period, the differences between two successive scans of the M. longissimus area did not differ significantly, obtaining the lowest value at the third scan and the highest at the fifth scan. The ultrasound back fat depth was affected by sex, being greater in females and in animals with a high-oleic diet. Positive significant correlations were observed for measurements assessed. The R2 values for the regression equations to estimate M. longissimus area were lower than the values found for the prediction of fat measurements, and they differed between sex and diet. The relative back fat growth was higher than M. longissimus area, not permitting the establishment of a similar growth pattern for fat and muscle. The sex and diet was taken into account in the predictive models. The subcutaneous adipose layers in Iberian pigs grow at different rates during the last 6 months before slaughter; with the ultrasound serial scan, it is possible to show these changes. The change in diet and the sex affect the adipose tissue development, being more noticeable in the middle layer of back fat at 10th rib level and the inner layer at 14th rib level. However, the sex and the use of an enriched oleic acid diet do not affect to loin development. As the middle layer of back fat shows more growth, this layer could be the best to be included in predictive models. The middle layer of back fat could also be good to be included in predictive models. Back fat thickness at the eighth scan can be predicted with moderate accuracy from corresponding measurements taken 30 days earlier and with less accuracy as the interval between measurements increases.

Effect of creatine monohydrate supplementation on carcass traits, meat quality and postmortem energy metabolism of finishing pigs

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of creatine monohydrate (CMH) supplementation on meat quality and postmortem energy metabolism of finishing pigs. In total, 48 healthy Duroc–Large White cross castrated male pigs were randomly allocated into two treatments, and fed either a CHM-free basal diet or a basal diet with CMH supplementation (0.8%) for 14 days. At the end of the experiment, six pigs from each treatment were weighed individually and slaughtered. The muscle from longissimus dorsi was collected to evaluate the meat quality and energy metabolism-related parameters. The results showed that CMH supplementation did not affect the loin eye area, back fat depth or dressing percentage (P > 0.05). The muscle pH45 min was higher, whereas drip loss and cooking loss were lower in the CMH supplementation group (P < 0.05). CMH supplementation increased the concentrations of creatine (P < 0.05), adenosine triphosphate (P < 0.05), adenosine diphosphate (P < 0.01) and creatine kinase activity (P < 0.05), and decreased the concentration of lactic acid (P < 0.05), and the activities of lactate dehydrogenase (P < 0.05) and pyruvate kinase (P < 0.05) in muscle postmortem. However, no differences were observed between groups for chemical composition, textural characteristics and glycolytic potential of longissimus dorsi muscle (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with CMH during the finishing period in pigs could delay early pH decline and decrease the rate of glycolysis in postmortem longissimus dorsi muscle resulting in a decreased drip loss.

The influence of dietary protein on market barrows and gilts supplemented creatine monohydrate in conjunction with a high glycemic carbohydrate

The objective of the study was to determine if additional dietary protein improves the lean tissue deposition and carcass merit of pigs supplemented creatine monohydrate in combination with a high glycemic carbohydrate (dextrose). Forty-eight crossbred barrows and gilts (91±0.18 kg) were blocked by sex assigned to 1 of 12 pens (4 pigs/pen, 16 pigs/treatment). Treatments included: control (CON; basal diet consisting of a ground corn-soybean base), combination diet (COMBO; basal diet supplemented with 0.92% creatine monohydrate and 2.75% dextrose), and a combination high protein diet (COMBOHP; COMBO formulated to contain a minimum of 16% crude protein). Barrows on the COMBOHP gained the least 10th rib fat and expressed the highest percentage fat-free carcass lean (P<0.01) after 28 days on test. No significant treatment differences were noted in the fat and lean tissue accretion of gilts. Treatments had no affect the meat quality parameters of barrow and gilt carcasses.

Creatine monohydrate and glucose supplementation to slow- and fast-growing chickens changes the postmortem pH in pectoralis major

The energy status of the chicken at slaughter has a large impact on the development of pH postmortem and thus on color and water-holding capacity (WHC). Supplementation of creatine monohydrate and glucose (CMH+GLU) may increase the creatine content in the muscles before slaughter, thereby delaying the formation of lactic acid and postponing the pH decline. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of supplementing CMH+GLU in the drinking water within the last 48 h before slaughter on the pH decline, meat color, and WHC in the pectoralis major from 2 strains of Ross chickens. Forty Ross 308 (fast-growing) female chickens and 40 Ross 1972 (slow-growing) female chickens had free access to drinking water either supplemented with CMH (15 g/ L) and glucose (50 g/L) within the last 48 h before slaughter or without supplementation. All chickens were slaughtered at 42 or 43 d of age irrespective of weight. Temperature and pH were measured at 1 and 30 min and at 1, 3, 8, and 24 h postmortem. Also, WHC measured as drip loss and color were determined postmortem. The CMH+GLU supplementation decreased pH (P < 0.05) at all time points between 1 min and 8 h postmortem in both strains, whereas at 24 h postmortem only pH in Ross 308 chickens were decreased significantly upon supplementation. Lightness was significantly increased in the meat from Ross 308 but not from Ross 1972 chickens upon supplementation. This interaction was significant (P < 0.05). The redness of the meat was decreased upon supplementation (P < 0.05), although only significantly in Ross 1972. The pH was lower for Ross 1972 chickens at the early time points (P < 0.01) and also a higher drip loss (P < 0.05), lightness (P < 0.01), and redness (P < 0.001) were observed. Thus, there seems to be no beneficial effect of CMH+GLU supplementation on chicken meat quality on the basis of results from this experiment.