Gender status effect on carcass and meat quality traits of feedlot Angus × Nellore cattle |
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Authors: | Lenise Freitas Mueller Júlio Csar Carvalho Balieiro Adrielle Matias Ferrinho Taiane da Silva Martins Rosana Ruegger Pereira da Silva Corte Tamyres Rodrigues de Amorim Joyce de Jesus Mangini Furlan Fernando Baldi Anglica Simone Cravo Pereira |
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Institution: | Lenise Freitas Mueller,Júlio César Carvalho Balieiro,Adrielle Matias Ferrinho,Taiane da Silva Martins,Rosana Ruegger Pereira da Silva Corte,Tamyres Rodrigues de Amorim,Joyce de Jesus Mangini Furlan,Fernando Baldi,Angélica Simone Cravo Pereira |
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Abstract: | The study evaluated the effect of gender status on carcass and meat quality of feedlot Angus × Nellore cattle. A total of 176 cattle, 20 months old, were confined for 190‐days and assigned to four treatments: bulls, immunocastrated, steers, and heifers. Bulls had greater rib eye area and HCW (p = 0.0001). Heifers had increased fat thickness (p = 0.0001). Steers and heifers had higher marbling scores (p = 0.0001). There was interaction between gender and aging time for Warner‐Bratzler Shear Force (p = 0.0002), L* (p = 0.0118), and b* (p = 0.0113) values of beef. The sensory panel results showed that beef from bulls had the lowest consumer overall acceptance (p = 0.0278). Especially, regardless tenderness, steers and immunocastrated beef were considered tender, independent of aging time. Beef produced by heifers, steers, and immunocastrated is considered to be of higher quality than bulls. Thus, it is may be an interesting alternative to produce high‐quality beef than bulls, to attend the consumer demand for high‐quality products. Additionally, the low fatty acids n6 levels and low n6:n3 ratio, high levels of CLA, MUFAs, and oleic acid suggests that the heifer meat is favorable for human health. |
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Keywords: | beef cattle castration fatty acid sensory panel sexual condition |
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