Sensory quality of meat from eight different types of cattle in relation with their biochemical characteristics

The present study compared eight breeds of cattle differing in gender （heifers, buls and steers） to determine associations between muscle characteristics and meat sensory qualities of theLongissimus thoracis muscle. Animal types differed in al the muscle characteristics and sensory qualities. Many correlations among muscle characteristics and among sensory qualities were consistent for most animal types. Isocitrate dehydrogenase （ICDH） activities alowed discrimination of muscles with respect to myosin heavy chain （MyHC）-I proportions for al animal types. Lactate dehydrogenase （LDH） and phos-phofructokinase （PFK） activities were positively correlated for most animal types. Overal liking was correlated with beef lfavour and abnormal lfavour in al animal types and with global tenderness for al animal types except for Charolais cross breed steers. For al animal types except for Angus×Friesian heifers, beef lfavour and abnormal lfavour were negatively correlated. Overal liking was not correlated with juiciness. PFK, ICDH and citrate synthase （CS） activities were strongly associated with tenderness, beef lfavour and overal liking when average values for al animal types were used. However, associations between muscle characteristics and sensory qualities within animal types were weak and inconsistent.

Seasonal variations in nutritive and botanical composition properties of multispecies grazing swards over an entire dairy grazing season

Background Recently,there has been increasing interest in the use of multispecies(MS)swards in dairy grazing systems.Methods A plot grazing study was established to investigate the potential contribution of different sward species(perennial ryegrass,legumes and herbs)sown in grazing pastures.Ten sward mixtures were sown,ranging in complexity from a perennial ryegrass(PRG)monoculture to binary mixtures including either forage legumes or herbs to a five-species mixture;four different nitrogen(N)application rates of 0,100,150 and 200 kg N ha−1 were applied to each sward.Results Species abundance for all sward species components was associated with the interaction of time point and sward mixture;species abundance for all sward components,except PRG,was associated with the interaction of N application and sward mixture.The interactions of time point and sward mixture,and time point and N application rate,were associated with all analysed sward chemical components,except for sward digestibility.Conclusions Increased N application rates reduced the level of clover in all sward mixtures.Increased levels of white clover led to increased sward crude protein levels;the inclusion of ribwort plantain led to some seasonal variation in the nutritive value of swards.