Veterinary Sciences (Nov 2023)

Fetal Programming and Its Effects on Meat Quality of Nellore Bulls

  • Arícia Christofaro Fernandes,
  • Mariane Beline,
  • Guilherme Henrique Gebim Polizel,
  • Roberta Cavalcante Cracco,
  • Evandro Fernando Ferreira Dias,
  • Édison Furlan,
  • Saulo da Luz e Silva,
  • Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10120672
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 12
p. 672

Abstract

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This work aimed to evaluate the effects of prenatal nutritional stimulation at different pregnancy stages on carcass traits and meat quality in bovine progeny. For this purpose, 63 Nellore bulls, born from cows submitted to three nutritional plans, were used: not programmed (NP), which did not receive protein supplementation; partially programmed (PP), which had protein-energy supplementation (0.3% of mean body weight of each batch) only in the final third of pregnancy; and full programming (FP), which received supplementation (0.3% of mean body weight of each batch) throughout pregnancy. The averages of parameters were submitted to the ANOVA, and the supplementation periods, which were different when p value p > 0.05), but subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) showed a tendency (p = 0.08) between groups. For lipids and marbling, no differences were found (p > 0.05). In the analyses of maturation time and shelf life, no difference was observed between treatments. However, there was a tendency between treatments at 14 days of maturation time for cooking loss (CL) (p = 0.08). Treatments did not affect shear force in the progenies (p > 0.05). Fetal programming had no effect on the meat quality of Nellore bulls.

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