Proximate Nutrient Characteristics of Biceps femoris and Longissimus dorsi Muscles of Hulunbuir Grassland Short-Tailed Sheep
SU Zhen, WU Zhihua, YI Lan, ZHU Sijia, GU Yu, GUO Jun
1. School of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China; 2. Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Technology Extension Service Center of Bayantohai Town, Evenki Autonomous Region, Hulunbuir 021199, China; 3. Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Technology Extension Service Center of Bayantala Daur Ethnic Town, Evenki Banner, Hulunbuir 021117, China
Abstract：A total of 214 samples of the biceps femoris and longissimus dorsi muscles of Hulunbuir grassland short-tailed sheep as well as sheep and goats from the other regions of Ordos, Alxa, Ningxia and Yulin were collected for determination of proximate nutrients (moisture, ash, fat and protein) and descriptive statistics and cluster analysis were conducted. Results showed the moisture, protein, fat and ash contents in the muscles of grassland short-tailed sheep were (75.86 ± 2.96)%, (20.88 ± 2.90)%, (2.91 ± 2.26)%, and (1.65 ± 0.78)%, respectively. The moisture content was lower than the limit (≤ 78%) stipulated by the Chinese national standard Permitted level of moisture in meat of livestock and poultry (GB 18394–2020). The muscles of sheep in the Hui Sumu wetland and the Yimin Sumu grassland-forest ecotone showed significantly higher moisture contents (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) but lower intermuscular fat contents (P < 0.01) than did those in East Sumu of the Sini River. Moisture content was significantly higher (P < 0.01) and ash and protein contents were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the muscles of lambs than adult sheep (P < 0.01). The muscles of grassland short-tailed sheep showed no significant difference in protein content compared with other breeds in Hulunbuir (P > 0.05), but significantly higher intermuscular fat content compared with local goats (P < 0.05). The muscles of sheep in Hulunbuir exhibited significantly higher moisture content than did those in all other regions except Ningxia (P < 0.05) but significantly lower intermuscular fat content than did those in Ordos and Alxa (P < 0.05). Cluster analysis showed a clear separation among sheep muscle samples from different regions, indicating differences in nutrient composition. The contributions of nutrients to the separation decreased in the order of moisture > ash > fat > protein. In summary, there are regional and breed differences in the proximate nutrient composition of grassland short-tailed sheep muscles.
2025, Vol. 39 
