Características da carne de cordeiros e borregos alimentados com dietas de alto concentrado de milho ou sorgo

Abstract

The experiment was conducted with the objective of evaluate the tissue composition and centesimal (chapter I) and determine the instrumental and sensorial characteristics (chapter II) of lambs and hoggets fed high concentrate corn or sorghum diets. Thirty two sheep of the breed Corriedale were used, being 16 lambs (milk teeth) and 16 hoggets (two teeth), all male castrated. The animals were divided into: 8 lambs fed a high concentrate corn diet; 8 lambs fed a high concentrate sorghum diet; 8 hoggets fed high concentrate corn diet and 8 hoggets fed a high concentrate sorghum diet. The diets consisted of white oats hay (Avena sativa), corn (Zea mays) or sorghum grain (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench), soybean meal (Glycine max), limestone, sodium bicarbonate, and monensin. By the time each lamb or hoggets reached the 3.0 point body condition score, these were weighed and then started the fasting period of solids and liquids, for 14 hours and then slaughtered. When lambs and hoggets were analyzed, the lambs presented superiority (P<0.05) for the amount in relative values of muscle and also in relation muscle:bone, muscle:fat, luminosity (L*) in the Rectus abdominis muscle, yellow intensity (b*) in renal fat and caudal subcutaneous fat, water retention capacity and acid taste. On the other hand, the amount of bone and fat (absolute and relative values), muscle and other (absolute values), lipid contents, red intensity (a*) in Rectus abdominis, cooking losses in absolute values, and exudate losses in absolute and relative values was higher (P<0.05) in the hoggets category. When evaluating the diets (corn and sorghum), the animals fed corn diets presented superior results (P<0.05) for red intensity (a*) in renal fat and caudal subcutaneous fat, as well as a strange aroma. However, the superiority (P<0.05) of ash content, cooking losses, exudate losses in absolute values and softness occurred in the meat of animals fed grain sorghum diets. In the characteristics of the tissue composition, centesimal and instrumental, the lambs presented more satisfactory results when compared to the hoggets category. However the sensorial attributes the hoggets category presented attributes more attractive to the consumers. In analyzing corn and sorghum grain diets, it can be observed that animals fed corn grain present better results for instrumental characteristics and sorghum grain for sensorial quality.