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| Differences in Meat Quality and Muscle Microstructure of Yak: A Comparison between Supplementary Feeding and Grazing |
| WANG Li1, SUN Baozhong2, BAO Shanke3, KONG Xiangying3, XIE Peng2, ZHANG Li1,2,*, YU Qunli1, LI Haipeng2 |
1.College of Food Science and Engineering, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
2. Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
3. Animal Husbandry and Scientific Research Institute of Qinghai Province, Haibei 810200, China |
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Abstract The aim of this study was to examine differences in meat quality and muscle microstructure between yaks receiving supplementary feeding and grazed yaks. Twelve pasture-grazed yaks from Haibei prefecture, Qinghai province were selected and randomized into supplementary feeding and grazing groups. The yaks in both groups were slaughtered and supraspinatus, latissimus dorsi and semitendinosus muscles were excised for the evaluation of eating quality and nutritional quality and microstructure observation. Results showed supplementary feeding resulted in an increase the brightness (L*) of latissimus dorsi and semitendinosus muscles by 1.09 and 2.99, respectively, and a reduction in pH, water-holding capacity and shear force for the three muscles of yaks as compared to grazing. Additionally, the fat contents of these three muscles were increased by over 42% by supplementary feeding, accompanied with an extremely significant decrease in muscle crosssectional area, fiber diameter, membrane thickness, band A width and band Ⅰ width (P < 0.01) and an extremely significant increase in fiber density (P < 0.01). These results showed that meat color of supplementary feeding yak was better, with smaller muscle fibers and good tenderness but poorer water holding capacity and higher intramuscular fat content.
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