Carcass characteristics, meat quality, sensory palatability and chemical composition of Thai native cattle grazing in lowland and Phu Phan mountain forest.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Thai native cattle grazing in the lowland or mountain forest on carcass characteristics, meat quality, sensory palatability, and chemical composition. METHODS: Twelve male Thai native cattle with an average weight of 110±10 kg are allowed to be grazing in the lowland or Phu Phan mountain forest during the rainy season in northeastern Thailand. RESULTS: The carcass characteristics, meat pH, and meat color were unaffected by treatment (p>0.05). The boiling loss was lower in the cattle grazing on the mountain forest (p = 0.027). The cattle grazing in the mountain forest had increased shear force (p = 0.039), tenderness (p = 0.011), and flavor intensity (p = 0.003). The protein and fat were higher (p<0.001 and p = 0.035, respectively) in cattle grazing in the mountain forest. The different grazing systems of the cattle had no effect (p>0.05) fatty acids in meat, except for capric acid (C10:0) and lauric acid (C12:0), which were higher (p = 0.046 and p = 0.049, respectively) when the cattle were grazing in the mountain forest. The different grazing systems did not influence (p>0.05) the unsaturated fatty acids in meat. CONCLUSION: Thai native cattle grazing in the Phu Phan mountain forest in the rainy season improves meat quality, sensory evaluation, and chemical composition.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Hydrolyzed Yeast on Growth Performance, Digestibility, Rumen Fermentation, and Hematology in Growing Beef Cattle.

This experiment was conducted to assess the effect of hydrolyzed yeast (HY) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation, and hematology in growing crossbred Bos indicus cattle. Twenty crossbred beef cattle with an initial body weight (BW) of 142 ± 12 kg were randomly assigned to one of four treatments for 90 d in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) having five blocks based on a homogenous subpopulation of sex and BW. Cattle were fed with a total mixed ration (TMR) and supplemented with HY at 0, 1, 2, and 3 g/kg dry matter (DM), respectively. Supplementation with the HY did not change average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), and gain to feed ratio (G:F) (p ≥ 0.06). The addition of HY did not adversely affect nutrient intake (p ≥ 0.48), while the digestibility of crude protein (CP) increased quadratically (p= 0.03) in the cattle receiving HY. The addition of HY did not affect rumen pH, but NH3-N concentration increased linearly (p = 0.02) in the cattle. The total volatile fatty acid (total VFA) increased quadratically (p= 0.03) when cattle were fed with HY supplementation. The proportion of acetate decreased cubically (p= 0.03) while propionate increased cubically (p= 0.01), resulting in a decrease in the acetate to propionate ratio (p= 0.01) when cattle were fed with HY supplementation. In addition, acetate was the lowest, but total VFA and propionate were the highest in cattle fed the HY at 2 g/kg DM. Butyrate increased cubically (p = 0.02) with the addition of HY. The protozoal and fungal populations were similar among treatments (p ≥ 0.11), but the bacterial population increased linearly (p < 0.01) with the addition of HY. Supplementation of HY did not influence blood urea nitrogen (BUN), red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells (WBC), lymphocytes, or eosinophils (p≥ 0.10). However, monocytes and neutrophils increased linearly (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively) by HY supplementation. In conclusion, supplementation of HY at 2 g/kg DM promotes CP digestibility, rumen fermentation efficiency, and hematology but does not affect the growth performance of growing beef cattle.

Fermented Rubber Seed Kernel with Yeast in the Diets of Tropical Lactating Dairy Cows: Effects on Feed Intake, Hematology, Microbial Protein Synthesis, Milk Yield and Milk Composition.

The objective of the present study was to analyze the effects of yeast-fermented rubber seed kernels (YERSEK) on the feed intake, hematology, microbial protein synthesis, milk yield, and milk composition in dairy cows. Six crossbred Holstein Friesian (HF) × Thai lactating dairy cows with 110 ± 10 days in milk were randomly assigned to three different amounts of YERSEK at 0%, 10%, and 20% in a concentrate mixture using a 3 × 3 repeated Latin square design. Cows were fed with concentrate diets at a concentrate-to-milk yield ratio of 1:1.5, with rice straw fed ad libitum. The inclusion of YERSEK did not adversely affect feed intake, nutrient intake, or digestibility (p > 0.05), whereas ether extract intake and digestibility linearly increased in dairy cows receiving YERSEK (p < 0.01). Increasing YERSEK levels did not adversely affect blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, hematological parameters, or microbial protein synthesis (p > 0.05). Supplementation of YERSEK did not influence milk production, lactose, or protein levels (p > 0.05). However, milk fat and total solids decreased linearly (p < 0.05) with the addition of YERSEK. In conclusion, in a concentrate diet, YERSEK could be used as a protein source without negative effects on feed intake, digestibility, hematology, microbial protein synthesis, or milk yield. However, it reduced the milk fat and total solids of tropical lactating dairy cows.

Improving ensiling characteristics by adding lactic acid bacteria modifies in vitro digestibility and methane production of forage-sorghum mixture silage.

Improving the nutrition of livestock is an important aspect of global food production sustainability. This study verified whether lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculant could promote ensiling characteristics, nutritive value, and in vitro enteric methane (CH4) mitigation of forage sorghum (FS) mixture silage in attacking malnutrition in Zebu beef cattle. The FS at the soft dough stage, Cavalcade hay (CH), and cassava chip (CC) were obtained. The treatments were designed as a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Factor A was FS prepared without or with CH, CC, and CH + CC. Factor B was untreated or treated with Lactobacillus casei TH14. The results showed that all FS mixture silages preserved well with lower pH values below 4.0 and higher lactic acid contents above 56.4 g/kg dry matter (DM). Adding LAB boosted the lactic acid content of silages. After 24 h and 48 h of in vitro rumen incubation, the CC-treated silage increased in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) with increased total gas production and CH4 production. The LAB-treated silage increased IVDMD but decreased CH4 production. Thus, the addition of L. casei TH14 inoculant could improve lactic acid fermentation, in vitro digestibility, and CH4 mitigation in the FS mixture silages.

Effects of cytoplasts from Taiwan native yellow cattle on the cellular antioxidant ability of cloned Holstein cattle and their offspring.

We previously demonstrated that the cellular thermotolerance of cloned cattle produced by combination of ooplasm (o) derived from Taiwan native yellow cattle (Y) and the donor (d) nucleus derived from Holstein (H) cattle (Yo-Hd) transmits to their offspring (Yo-Hd-F1). In the present study, the responses of mitochondria in these cloned cattle and their offspring after heat shock were investigated to elucidate influence of cytoplasmic input (i.e., ooplasm) during the course of heat stress. After heat shock, oxidative phosphorylation proteins (Complex III and IV) of ear fibroblast cells with Y-originated cytoplasm (including Y, Yo-Hd, and Yo-Hd-F1 cattle) were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than those of ear fibroblast cells with H-originated cytoplasm (including H, Ho-Hd, and Ho-Hd-F1 cattle). However, the expressions of Complex I and Complex II protein in heat shocked cells derived from Yo-Hd-F1 cattle were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those of cell derived from cattle with the H-cytoplasm. The catalase (CAT) expression in heat shocked ear fibroblast cells derived from Yo-Hd and Yo-Hd-F1 cattle were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of cells derived from Ho-Hd-F1 cattle. However, the level of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) expression was higher (P < 0.05) in ear fibroblast cells with Y-originated cytoplasm compared to cells with H-originated cytoplasm. In conclusion, the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant enzymes after heat shock was increased in ear fibroblast cells from cattle with Y-originated cytoplasm, which can be transmitted to their offspring.

Ear fibroblasts derived from Taiwan yellow cattle are more heat resistant than those from Holstein cattle.

The objective of this study was to compare the thermotolerances of ear fibroblasts derived from Holstein (H) and Taiwan yellow cattle (Y) and their apoptosis-related protein expressions with (1, 3, 6, 12, and 24h) or without heat shock treatment. The results showed that the vaginal temperatures of Y (38.4-38.5°C) were (P<0.05) lower than that of H (38.8°C) during the hot season. The apoptotic rates of ear fibroblasts derived from Y (6h: 1.1%; 12h: 1.6%; 24h: 2.6%) were lower (P<0.05) than those of cells derived from H (6h: 1.8%; 12h: 4.0%; 24h: 6.9%), respectively, after heat shock (42°C). The expression level of apoptosis inducing factor (AIF) in ear fibroblasts derived from H was higher (P<0.05) than those derived from Y after the heat shock treatment for 6h and 12h, respectively. The level of cytochrome c of ear fibroblasts derived from H was higher (P<0.05) than those derived from Y after the heat shock treatment for 1-12h, respectively. The abundances of Caspase-3, Caspase-8 and Caspase-9 of ear fibroblasts derived from H were higher (P<0.05) than those of cells derived from Y after 12h and 24h of heat shock, respectively; the Bcl-2/Bax ratios of ear fibroblasts derived from H were lower (P<0.05) than those from Y-derived fibroblasts after heated for 1-24h. The expression level of HSP-70 of Y-derived ear fibroblasts was also higher (P<0.05) than that from H after the same duration of heat shock treatments. Taken together, the thermotolerance of ear fibroblasts derived from Taiwan yellow cattle was better than that of cells derived from Holstein cattle.

Cellular thermotolerance is inheritable from Holstein cattle cloned with ooplasts of Taiwan native yellow cattle.

We have previously demonstrated that the somatic cells from cattle cloned with Holstein (H) donor cells and Taiwan native yellow cattle (Y) ooplasm (Yo-Hd) had better thermotolerance than those from cattle cloned with both Holstein donor cells and ooplasm (Ho-Hd). The present study aimed to investigate whether the cellular thermotolerance of these cloned cattle is transmissible to their offspring (Ho-Hd-F1 and Yo-Hd-F1). Thermotolerance of ear fibroblasts derived from these cloned cattle and their offspring were analyzed. Polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop of ear fibroblasts derived from Yo-Hd and Yo-Hd-F1 indicated that the cytoplasm is originated from Bos indicus (Y). After heat shock, the apoptotic rates, B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 ratios, and relative expression levels of cysteine-aspartic proteases (caspases)-3, -8, and -9 of ear fibroblasts with Y-originated cytoplasm (including Y, Yo-Hd, and Yo-Hd-F1) were lower (P < 0.05) than those of ear fibroblasts with H-originated cytoplasm (including H, Ho-Hd, and Ho-Hd-F1). In contrast, the relative level of HSP-70 was higher (P < 0.05) in ear fibroblasts with Y-originated cytoplasm than that of with H-originated cytoplasm. Based on our results, thermotolerance of ear fibroblasts derived from Yo-Hd and Yo-Hd-F1 cattle is better and can be transmitted, at least at the cellular level, to their offspring.