The effect of grazing system intensification on the growth and meat quality of beef cattle in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biome.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of four levels of intensification of grazing systems: 1) degraded pasture - DP; 2) irrigated pasture with high stocking rate - IHS; 3) dryland pasture with high stocking rate - DHS; 4) dryland pasture with moderate stocking rate - DMS; on growth, muscle development and meat quality of Nellore steers (271±2.2kg of live body weight - BW; 15months old) during two consecutive periods (17 and 15months). The final BW, the average daily BW gain, the hot carcass weight and the dress percentage were greater (P<0.0001), and the ribeye area tended to be greater (P=0.085), in the intensified systems compared to the degraded system. Animals in all systems presented similar back fat. Muscle development increased with the intensification of the grazing systems and meat quality was not affected.

Sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide in feedlot cattle diet: animal performance and meat quality / Desempenho e qualidade da carne de novilhos confinados alimentados com silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar silagem de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L) tratada com hidróxido de cálcio - Ca(OH)2 - (cal hidratada) como único volumoso em ração para confinamento de gado de corte, com respeito ao desempenho e qualidade da carne dos animais. Quarenta e cinco novilhos Canchim (22 meses de idade, 345 kg de peso vivo- PV) foram distribuídos, em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, em três tratamentos (rações totais - RTs - com 35% de volumoso): T1 - RT com cana-de-açúcar fresca; T2 - RT com silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio (10 g Ca(OH)2/kg de forragem fresca); T3 - RT com silagem de milho. Foram avaliados o consumo de matéria seca (CMS), consumo de MS digestível (CMSD), consumo de proteína bruta (CPB), eficiência alimentar (EA), ganho médio diário (GMD) e rendimento de carcaça (RC). A carne foi avaliada quanto a parâmetros de qualidade (pH, capacidade de retenção de água, perdas no cozimento, cor e força de cisalhamento) e de análise sensorial descritiva. Os novilhos alimentados com a silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio apresentaram similares (P>0.05) CMS (10,8 kg/d), CMSD (8,5 kg/d) e RC (52,6%); mais alto (P<0.05) CPB (1,8 vs. 1,4 kg/d) e menor (P<0.05) GMD (1,58 vs. 1,81 kg PV/d) comparados aos que receberam silagem de milho. Comparados aos animais alimentados com cana-de-açúcar fresca, os novilhos alimentados com silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio apresentaram maior (P<0.05) CMS (10,9 vs. 9,4 kg MS/d), CMSD (8,70 vs. 7,4 kg/d), CPB (1,8 vs. 1,1 kg/d) e RC (52,7 vs. 51,2%), mas o GMD e EA foram similares (P>0.05) (1,5 kg PV/d e 0,15 kg PV/kg CMS, respectivamente). As diferentes rações não afetaram (P>0.05) os parâmetros de qualidade e os atributos sensoriais da carne, com exceção da cor da gordura e sabor estranho na carne. Concluiu-se que o hidróxido de cálcio pode ser indicado como um eficiente aditivo para...(AU)

This study aimed to evaluate sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L) silage treated with calcium hydroxide - Ca(OH)2 - (slacked lime) as the only roughage source in a feedlot ration, regarding animal performance and meat quality. Forty five Canchim steers (22 months old, 345 kg body weight - BW) were assigned, in a complete randomized block design, to three treatments (total mixed rations - TMRs - with 35% roughage): T1- TMR with fresh sugarcane; T2 - TMR with sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide (10 g Ca(OH)2/kg of fresh forage); T3 - TMR with corn silage. Dry matter intake (DMI), digestible DM intake (DDMI), crude protein intake (CPI), feed efficiency (FE), average daily gain (ADG) and dressing percentage (DP) were evaluated. Meat was analyzed for quality parameters (pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, color and shear force) and sensory attributes. Steers fed the silage treated with calcium hydroxide presented similar (P>0.05) DMI (10.8 kg DM/d), DDMI (8.5 kg/d) and DP (52.6%); higher CPI (1.8 vs. 1.4 kg/d) and lower (P<0.05) ADG (1.58 vs. 1.81 kg BW/d) and FE (0.15 vs. 0.17 kg BW/kg DMI) in comparison to those receiving corn silage. Compared to animals fed the fresh sugarcane, steers fed sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide presented higher (P<0.05) DMI (10.9 vs. 9.4 kg DM/d), DDMI (8.7 vs. 7.4 kg/d), CPI (1.8 vs. 1.1 kg/d) and DP (52.7% vs. 51.2%) but similar (P>0.05) ADG and FE (1.5 kg BW/d and 0.15 kg BW/kg DMI, respectively). The different rations did not affect (P>0.05) meat quality parameters and sensory attributes, except for fat color and off flavor sensory attribute. It was concluded that calcium hydroxide can be indicated as an efficient additive for sugarcane ensilage. Feedlot cattle fed TMR containing sugarcane silage treated with Ca (OH)2, as the only roughage source, presented adequate performance and meat quality.(AU)

Sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide in feedlot cattle diet: animal performance and meat quality / Desempenho e qualidade da carne de novilhos confinados alimentados com silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio

Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar silagem de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L) tratada com hidróxido de cálcio - Ca(OH)2 - (cal hidratada) como único volumoso em ração para confinamento de gado de corte, com respeito ao desempenho e qualidade da carne dos animais. Quarenta e cinco novilhos Canchim (22 meses de idade, 345 kg de peso vivo- PV) foram distribuídos, em um delineamento em blocos casualizados, em três tratamentos (rações totais - RTs - com 35% de volumoso): T1 - RT com cana-de-açúcar fresca; T2 - RT com silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio (10 g Ca(OH)2/kg de forragem fresca); T3 - RT com silagem de milho. Foram avaliados o consumo de matéria seca (CMS), consumo de MS digestível (CMSD), consumo de proteína bruta (CPB), eficiência alimentar (EA), ganho médio diário (GMD) e rendimento de carcaça (RC). A carne foi avaliada quanto a parâmetros de qualidade (pH, capacidade de retenção de água, perdas no cozimento, cor e força de cisalhamento) e de análise sensorial descritiva. Os novilhos alimentados com a silagem de cana-de-açúcar tratada com hidróxido de cálcio apresentaram similares (P>0.05) CMS (10,8 kg/d), CMSD (8,5 kg/d) e RC (52,6%); mais alto (P0.05) (1,5 kg PV/d e 0,15 kg PV/kg CMS, respectivamente). As diferentes rações não afetaram (P>0.05) os parâmetros de qualidade e os atributos sensoriais da carne, com exceção da cor da gordura e sabor estranho na carne. Concluiu-se que o hidróxido de cálcio pode ser indicado como um eficiente aditivo para...

This study aimed to evaluate sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L) silage treated with calcium hydroxide - Ca(OH)2 - (slacked lime) as the only roughage source in a feedlot ration, regarding animal performance and meat quality. Forty five Canchim steers (22 months old, 345 kg body weight - BW) were assigned, in a complete randomized block design, to three treatments (total mixed rations - TMRs - with 35% roughage): T1- TMR with fresh sugarcane; T2 - TMR with sugarcane silage treated with calcium hydroxide (10 g Ca(OH)2/kg of fresh forage); T3 - TMR with corn silage. Dry matter intake (DMI), digestible DM intake (DDMI), crude protein intake (CPI), feed efficiency (FE), average daily gain (ADG) and dressing percentage (DP) were evaluated. Meat was analyzed for quality parameters (pH, water holding capacity, cooking loss, color and shear force) and sensory attributes. Steers fed the silage treated with calcium hydroxide presented similar (P>0.05) DMI (10.8 kg DM/d), DDMI (8.5 kg/d) and DP (52.6%); higher CPI (1.8 vs. 1.4 kg/d) and lower (P0.05) ADG and FE (1.5 kg BW/d and 0.15 kg BW/kg DMI, respectively). The different rations did not affect (P>0.05) meat quality parameters and sensory attributes, except for fat color and off flavor sensory attribute. It was concluded that calcium hydroxide can be indicated as an efficient additive for sugarcane ensilage. Feedlot cattle fed TMR containing sugarcane silage treated with Ca (OH)2, as the only roughage source, presented adequate performance and meat quality.

Effect of the genetic group, production system and sex on the meat quality and sensory traits of beef from crossbred animals.

The crossbreeding of two or more breeds from the Bos taurus and Bos indicus species is an alternative for obtaining high-quality meat from animals adapted to tropical climates. Quality and sensory attributes of beef, mainly its tenderness and flavour, are very important with regard to the consumer's point of view. This study aimed to evaluate the physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of crossbred young bulls and heifers, the offspring of Angus or Limousin bulls and 1/2 Angus + 1/2 Nellore or 1/2 Simental + 1/2 Nellore cows that were finished on feedlot or pasture. Meat quality traits (pH, colour, cooking loss, water holding capacity and shear force) and sensory parameters (characteristic beef aroma/flavour intensity, strange aroma/flavour intensity, tenderness and juiciness descriptive attributes, flavour, texture (tenderness) and overall acceptance) were evaluated. The genetic group had an effect on the beef pH, but it was not as relevant as the effect of the combination between the production system and the sex or genetic group, which affected many of the quality and sensory traits.

A single nucleotide polymorphism in NEUROD1 is associated with production traits in Nelore beef cattle.

Feed efficiency and carcass characteristics are late-measured traits. The detection of molecular markers associated with them can help breeding programs to select animals early in life, and to predict breeding values with high accuracy. The objective of this study was to identify polymorphisms in the functional and positional candidate gene NEUROD1 (neurogenic differentiation 1), and investigate their associations with production traits in reference families of Nelore cattle. A total of 585 steers were used, from 34 sires chosen to represent the variability of this breed. By sequencing 14 animals with extreme residual feed intake (RFI) values, seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in NEUROD1 were identified. The investigation of marker effects on the target traits RFI, backfat thickness (BFT), ribeye area (REA), average body weight (ABW), and metabolic body weight (MBW) was performed with a mixed model using the restricted maximum likelihood method. SNP1062, which changes cytosine for guanine, had no significant association with RFI or REA. However, we found an additive effect on ABW (P ≤ 0.05) and MBW (P ≤ 0.05), with an estimated allele substitution effect of -1.59 and -0.93 kg0.75, respectively. A dominant effect of this SNP for BFT was also found (P ≤ 0.010). Our results are the first that identify NEUROD1 as a candidate that affects BFT, ABW, and MBW. Once confirmed, the inclusion of this SNP in dense panels may improve the accuracy of genomic selection for these traits in Nelore beef cattle as this SNP is not currently represented on SNP chips.

Variation in myogenic differentiation 1 mRNA abundance is associated with beef tenderness in Nelore cattle.

The myogenic differentiation 1 gene (MYOD1) has a key role in skeletal muscle differentiation and composition through its regulation of the expression of several muscle-specific genes. We first used a general linear mixed model approach to evaluate the association of MYOD1 expression levels on individual beef tenderness phenotypes. MYOD1mRNA levels measured by quantitative polymerase chain reactions in 136 Nelore steers were significantly associated (P ≤ 0.01) with Warner-Bratzler shear force, measured on the longissimus dorsi muscle after 7 and 14 days of beef aging. Transcript abundance for the muscle regulatory gene MYOD1 was lower in animals with more tender beef. We also performed a co-expression network analysis using whole transcriptome sequence data generated from 30 samples of longissimus muscle tissue to identify genes that are potentially regulated by MYOD1. The effect of MYOD1 gene expression on beef tenderness may emerge from its function as an activator of muscle-specific gene transcription such as for the serum response factor (C-fos serum response element-binding transcription factor) gene (SRF), which determines muscle tissue development, composition, growth and maturation.

Feed efficiency indexes and their relationships with carcass, non-carcass and meat quality traits in Nellore steers.

Five hundred and seventy-five Nellore steers were evaluated for residual feed intake and residual feed intake and gain and their relationships between carcass, non-carcass and meat quality traits. RFI was measured by the difference between observed and predicted dry matter intake and RIG was obtained by the sum of -1*RFI and residual gain. Efficient and inefficient animals were classified adopting ±0.5 standard deviations from RFI and RIG mean. A mixed model was used including RFI or RIG and contemporary group as fixed effects, initial age as covariate and sire and experimental period as random effects, testing the significance of the regression slope for each evaluated trait. RIG was positively related to longissimus muscle area. Efficient-RFI animals had lower liver and internal fat proportions compared to inefficient-RFI animals. Efficient-RFI and efficient-RIG animals had 11.8% and 11.2% lower extracted intramuscular fat, compared to inefficient-RFI and inefficient-RIG animals, respectively. Efficient-RFI animals had tougher meat compared to inefficient-RFI animals.

The mitogenome of Onchocerca volvulus from the Brazilian Amazonia focus.

We report here the first complete mitochondria genome of Onchocerca volvulus from a focus outside of Africa. An O. volvulus mitogenome from the Brazilian Amazonia focus was obtained using a combination of high-throughput and Sanger sequencing technologies. Comparisons made between this mitochondrial genome and publicly available mitochondrial sequences identified 46 variant nucleotide positions and suggested that our Brazilian mitogenome is more closely related to Cameroon-origin mitochondria than West African-origin mitochondria. As well as providing insights into the origins of Latin American onchocerciasis, the Brazilian Amazonia focus mitogenome may also have value as an epidemiological resource.

A SNP in ASAP1 gene is associated with meat quality and production traits in Nelore breed.

The ASAP1 gene is located in a QTL region for meat production traits and to access the role of the ASAP1 gene, the association between a SNP in this gene and production traits in beef cattle was studied. For this, about 270 steers of reference families of Nelore breed were used. The investigation of marker effects on the traits was performed using a mixed model under the restricted maximum likelihood method. Novel association of a SNP in the ASAP1 gene and shear force measured at 24 h post mortem (P≤0.0083) was described in this population of Nelore cattle. This polymorphism accounted for 1.13% of the total additive variance and 17.51% of total phenotypic variance of the trait, suggesting that this marker could be used in marker assisted selection.

Características da carcaça e da carne de bovinos sob diferentes dietas, em confinamento / Carcass and meat characteristic of cattle receiving differents diets in feedlot

Avaliaram-se as características qualitativas da carcaça e da carne de 10 tourinhos, de 10 machos castrados e de 10 fêmeas da raça Canchim, terminados em confinamento e alimentados com: 1 - silagem de milho e concentrado contendo farelo de soja, milho e polpa cítrica (SM) e 2 - cana-de-açúcar e concentrado contendo farelo de soja, milho, grãos de girassol e polpa cítrica (CA). O período experimental foi de 105 dias, e o delineamento foi o inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 (3 condições sexuais e 2 dietas). Não foram observadas interações e os tourinhos apresentaram maiores (P<0,05) peso da carcaça quente e da área de olho de lombo, maior rendimento de dianteiro e menor rendimento de traseiro em relação aos machos castrados e às fêmeas. Nas amostras de contrafilé, não houve diferença entre tratamentos quanto à força de cisalhamento, pH, perdas totais por gotejamento e capacidade de retenção de água e cor da carne. Os machos castrados e as fêmeas apresentaram carne de melhor textura. As dietas SM e CA podem ser utilizadas na terminação de bovinos em confinamento.(AU)

The carcass and meat qualitative characteristics of 10 young bulls, 10 castrated males, and 10 females of Canchim breed finished in feedlot were evaluated. Animals were fed: 1 - corn silage and concentrate containing soybean meal, corn and citrus pulp (CS), and 2 - sugar cane and concentrate containing soybean meal, corn, sunflower grains, and citrus pulp (SC). The data were analized by completely randomized design in a factorial 3x2 arrangement (three sexual conditions x two diets), and the experimental period lasted 105 days. No interactions were observed and the young bulls presented higher (P<0.05) hot carcass weights and loin area, higher hindquarter and lower forequarter yields in relation to the castrated males and females. The samples of loin did not show differences among treatments in relation to shear force, pH, total losses due dripping on capacity of water retention, and meat color. The castrated males and females presented better texture of meat. The CS and SC diets can be used in finishing cattle under confinement.(AU)

Características da carcaça e da carne de bovinos sob diferentes dietas, em confinamento / Carcass and meat characteristic of cattle receiving differents diets in feedlot

Avaliaram-se as características qualitativas da carcaça e da carne de 10 tourinhos, de 10 machos castrados e de 10 fêmeas da raça Canchim, terminados em confinamento e alimentados com: 1 - silagem de milho e concentrado contendo farelo de soja, milho e polpa cítrica (SM) e 2 - cana-de-açúcar e concentrado contendo farelo de soja, milho, grãos de girassol e polpa cítrica (CA). O período experimental foi de 105 dias, e o delineamento foi o inteiramente ao acaso, em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 (3 condições sexuais e 2 dietas). Não foram observadas interações e os tourinhos apresentaram maiores (P<0,05) peso da carcaça quente e da área de olho de lombo, maior rendimento de dianteiro e menor rendimento de traseiro em relação aos machos castrados e às fêmeas. Nas amostras de contrafilé, não houve diferença entre tratamentos quanto à força de cisalhamento, pH, perdas totais por gotejamento e capacidade de retenção de água e cor da carne. Os machos castrados e as fêmeas apresentaram carne de melhor textura. As dietas SM e CA podem ser utilizadas na terminação de bovinos em confinamento.

The carcass and meat qualitative characteristics of 10 young bulls, 10 castrated males, and 10 females of Canchim breed finished in feedlot were evaluated. Animals were fed: 1 - corn silage and concentrate containing soybean meal, corn and citrus pulp (CS), and 2 - sugar cane and concentrate containing soybean meal, corn, sunflower grains, and citrus pulp (SC). The data were analized by completely randomized design in a factorial 3x2 arrangement (three sexual conditions x two diets), and the experimental period lasted 105 days. No interactions were observed and the young bulls presented higher (P<0.05) hot carcass weights and loin area, higher hindquarter and lower forequarter yields in relation to the castrated males and females. The samples of loin did not show differences among treatments in relation to shear force, pH, total losses due dripping on capacity of water retention, and meat color. The castrated males and females presented better texture of meat. The CS and SC diets can be used in finishing cattle under confinement.