Effect of sexual class on meat quality of cattle F1 Angus-Nellore finished in feedlot

• Grant number: 21/06217-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): September 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): August 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Otávio Rodrigues Machado Neto
• Grantee: Lucas Rodrigo Camargo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Consumer preferences at the time of meat purchasing are related to health, food safety, and product quality. Tenderness and marbling have been known as the main meat quality traits responsible for consumer preference. In beef cattle production systems, the castration of animals can provide uniformity and improve the carcass quality, as well as management of the animals. Thus, this study aims to evaluate the effect of the sexual class on meat quality traits of F1 Angus-Nellore cattle finished in feedlot. Eighteen animals (aged eight months and with an average initial body weight of 260 kg) from the same herd will be used. The animals will be grouped as follow: six heifers (HC), six steers (SC) (immunological castrated), and six non-castrated males (bulls). All animals will be finished in the feedlot for 230 days at the experimental (Unesp Botucatu). At the end of the experimental trial, all animals will be transported to a commercial slaughterhouse and slaughtered according to inspect the sanitary conditions. At deboning, samples of Longissimus thoracis muscle will be collected between 12th and 13th ribs for determination of backfat thickness, rib eye area, and meat quality traits. The analysis of chemical composition and myofibrillar fragmentation index will be carried out after 7 days of aging. Additionally, the meat color, pH and shear force will be carried out considering 7, 14 and 21 days of aging. Analysis of variance will be performed by the GLM procedures of the SAS, and differences among treatments will be considered when P d 0.05. The immunocastration can be an alternative for enhance the meat tenderness and marbling, thus, is expected that immunocastration method in cattle F1 Angus-Nellore improve the carcass characteristics and meat quality traits evaluated in the laboratory and/ or from the consumer's perspective.(AU)