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| Comparative on Slaughter Performance and Meat Quality Characteristics of Tan Sheep at Different Growth Stages |
| MA Xiaoming, WU Jianping, SHI An, LANG Xia, DING Wei, SHI Xiaolei, ZHANG Junli, WANG Xiaowei |
| 1.College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China; 2.Institute of Animal Science, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Yinchuan 750002, China; 3.Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China |
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Abstract The aim of this experiment was to comparatively study of the slaughter performance, meat quality, fatty acid composition and amino acid composition of Tan sheep at different growth phases. Ewes at 6, 9 and 12 months of age (n = 10 each) raised under the same conditions were chosen and slaughtered for evaluation of slaughter performance, meat quality, amino acid composition and fatty acid composition. The results showed that slaughter performance differed with age. Tan sheep at 9 months of age showed better meat quality characteristics. A total of 16 amino acids were detected in Longissimus dorsi at the three slaughter ages, including 8 essential amino acids and 8 non-essential amino acids. The contents of threonine and arginine were significantly higher at 12 months old and those at 6 and 9 months old (P < 0.05). A total of 37 fatty acids were tested at the three ages, of which 11 were undetectable. The contents of polyunsaturated but not saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids significantly differed with slaughter age (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acid exhibited a significant increasing trend with increasing slaughter age. Taken together, Tan sheep at 9 months of age showed better slaughter performance and meat quality characteristics with rich amino acids and fatty acids.
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2020, Vol. 34 
