title: Consumption of high energy maize diets is associated with increased soluble collagen in muscle of Holstein bulls.
abstract: The aim was to investigate whether energy supplementation of gazing bulls can influence collagen concentration and solubility in three different muscles: longissimus dorsi (LD), semitendinosus (ST) and supraspinatus (SS). Thirty three Holstein bulls aged 15 months and reared on grass, were randomly assigned to three treatment groups for 85 days: fed grass ad libitum (G1-control); fed grass ad libitum and supplemented with 4 kg day(-1) of ground maize (G2); fed grass ad libitum and supplemented with 8 kg day(-1) of ground maize (G3). Total collagen content did not differ (P>0.05) among treatments, however, soluble (heat-labile) collagen was significantly (P<0.001) higher in meat from G3 (34%, 23% and 25% for LD, ST and SS, respectively), compared with G1-control (24%, 18% and 17% in LD, ST and SS, respectively). Overall, these results suggest that meat tenderness of grazing bulls may be improved by supplementing with ground maize (8 kg day(-1)).
authors.affiliation: CITAA, Departamento de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade dos Açores, 9701-851 Angra Heroísmo, Portugal. celia@uac.pt
authors.forename: C C G
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Rego
authors.forename: E R E
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Simões
authors.forename: H J D
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D012995:Solubility; D003313:Zea mays
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen