| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5792675 | Meat Science | 2011 | 7 Pages |
In this study, 20 young steers received no beta-agonist (C), 100 animals all received zilpaterol hydrochloride (Z), with 1 group only receiving Z while the other 4 groups received zilpaterol and vitamin D3 at the following levels (IU/animal/day) and durations before slaughter: 7Â million for 3Â days (3D7M); 7 million for 6Â days (6D7M); 7Â million for 6Â days with 7Â days no supplementation (6D7M7N) and 1Â million for 9Â days (9D1M). Left carcass sides were electrically stimulated (ES) and the right side not stimulated (NES). Samples were aged for 3 or 14Â days post mortem. Parameters included Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF), myofibril filament length, sarcomere length and calpastatin and calpain enzyme activity.Both ES and prolonged aging reduced WBSF (PÂ <Â 0.001). 6D7M, 6D7M7N and Z remained significantly tougher than C (PÂ <Â 0.001), while 3D7M and 9D1M improved WBSF under NES conditions. ES is more effective to alleviate beta-agonist induced toughness than high vitamin D3 supplements.
⺠Beta-agonists improve production efficiency but are detrimental to meat quality. ⺠High vitamin D3 supplements may enhance calcium mediated proteolysis. ⺠Vitamin D3 supplements could not overcome beta agonist induced toughness. ⺠Electrical stimulation and prolonged aging is more effective to improve tenderness.
