Unravelling the complex interactions between genetics, animal age and nutrition as they impact on tissue deposition, muscle characteristics and quality of Australian sheep meat
R. D. Warner A B G , D. W. Pethick C , P. L. Greenwood D , E. N. Ponnampalam B , R. G. Banks E and D. L. Hopkins FA Australian Sheep Industry Cooperative Research Centre, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia.
B Department of Primary Industries, 600 Sneydes Road, Werribee, Vic. 3030, Australia.
C Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
D NSW Department of Primary Industries Beef Industry Centre of Excellence, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia.
E Meat and Livestock Australia, Locked Bag 991, North Sydney, NSW 2059, Australia.
F NSW Department of Primary Industries, Centre for Sheep Meat Development, Cowra, NSW 2794, Australia.
G Corresponding author. Email: robyn.warner@dpi.vic.gov.au
Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47(10) 1229-1238 https://doi.org/10.1071/EA07229
Submitted: 31 July 2007 Accepted: 8 August 2007 Published: 19 September 2007
Abstract
The combined effects of age and genetics and Poll Dorset sire and growth path were studied in two separate experiments (n = 595 and 627, respectively). In the first experiment, containing genotype crosses typically used in Australia (Merino, Poll Dorset, Border Leicester) and sires selected for growth or muscling, sheep were slaughtered at 4, 8, 14 and 22 months. The second experiment used Poll Dorset sires selected for high muscling, fat or growth with progeny having two levels of nutrition postweaning. Border Leicesters expressed higher levels of carcass fat percentage and intramuscular fat and produced the heaviest carcass. Merinos had the lowest subcutaneous fat depth and highest carcass lean percentage when compared at the same age. The progeny of Poll Dorset sires selected for high muscling (PDm) expressed a shift toward glycolytic fibres relative to those from Merino sires, and PDm sires produced progeny with reduced spine and limb length and higher carcass muscle : mineral ratios, suggesting skeletal stunting. Genotype meat quality differences were minimal except that PDm sire topsides were tougher and Merinos produced higher pH meat. With age (4–22 months), lambs became heavier and fatter, fibres shifted towards oxidative and away from glycolytic, muscle myoglobin increased, the meat became darker and redder and tenderness declined. Early weaning had no effect on the time to reach slaughter weight, provided nutrition was not restricted. The sire genetics influence on the carcass composition far outweighed the effect of nutrition postweaning. Lambs on a restricted diet tended to have less acceptable meat quality but this was not evident in lambs from sires selected for high fatness. Sensory tenderness was improved and intramuscular fat was higher in lamb progeny from sires selected for high fatness.
Allingham PG,
Gardner GE,
Taylor M,
Hegarty RS, Harper GS
(2006) Effects of sire genotype and plane of nutrition on fascicular structure of M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum and its effect on eating quality. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 641–650.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Angood KM,
Nute GR,
Hughes SI, Sheard PR
(in press) A comparison of organic and conventionally-produced lamb purchased from three major UK supermarkets: price, eating quality and fatty acid composition. Meat Science ,
Ashmore CR,
Tomkins G, Doerr L
(1972) Postnatal development of muscle fibre types in dometic animals. Journal of Animal Science 34, 37–41.
| PubMed |
Banks RG
(1990) LAMBPLAN: an integrated approach to genetic improvement for the Australian lamb industry. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 8, 237–240.
Bruns KW,
Pritchard RH, Boggs DL
(2004) The relationships among body weight, body composition, and intramuscular fat content in steers. Journal of Animal Science 82, 1315–1322.
| PubMed |
Cake MA,
Boyce MD,
Gardner GE,
Hopkins DL, Pethick DW
(2007) Genotype and gender effects on sheep limb bone growth and maturation: selection for loin depth causes bone hypotrophy. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1128–1136.
Dawson LER,
Carson AF, Moss BW
(2002) Effects of crossbred ewe genotype and ram genotype on lamb meat quality from the lowland sheep flock. The Journal of Agricultural Science 139, 195–204.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dunn SE, Michel RN
(1997) Coordinated expression of myosin heavy chain isoforms and metabolic enzymes within overloaded rat muscle fibers. American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology 273, C371–C383.
Fogarty NM
(1987) Breeding objectives for sheep: prime lamb dams. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 6, 217–220.
Fogarty NM,
Banks R,
Gilmour AR, Brash LD
(1992) Enhancement of LAMBPLAN to incorporate maternal traits and eye muscle measurements. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 10, 63–66.
Gardner GE,
Hopkins DL,
Greenwood PL,
Cake MA,
Boyce MD, Pethick DW
(2007) Sheep genotype, age and muscle type affect the expression of metabolic enzyme markers. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1180–1189.
Greenwood PL,
Davis JJ,
Gaunt GM, Ferrier GR
(2006a) Influences on the loin and cellular characteristics of the M. longissimus lumborum of Australian Poll Dorset-sired lambs. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 1–12.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Greenwood PL,
Gardner GE, Hegarty RS
(2006b) Lamb myofibre characteristics are influenced by sire estimated breeding values and pastoral nutritional system. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 627–639.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Greenwood PL,
Harden S, Hopkins DL
(2007) Myofibre characteristics of ovine longissimus and semitendinosus muscles are influenced by sire breed, gender, rearing type, age and carcass weight. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1137–1146.
Hallauer PL, Hastings KEM
(2002) Coregulation of fast contractile protein transgene and glycolytic enzyme expression in mouse skeletal muscle. American Journal of Physiology – Cell Physiology 282, C113–C124.
| PubMed |
Harper GS
(1999) Trends in skeletal muscle biology and the understanding of toughness in beef. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 50, 1105–1129.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hegarty RS,
Warner RD, Pethick DW
(2006) Genetic and nutritional regulation of lamb growth and muscle characteristics. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, 721–730.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hopkins DL, Fogarty NM
(1998) Diverse lamb genotypes–2. Meat pH, colour and tenderness. Meat Science 49, 477–488.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hopkins DL, Hegarty RS
(2004) Shear force, myofibrillar fragmentation and calcium concentration in the muscle of progeny from different sires fed on two planes of nutrition. Journal of Muscle Foods 15(3), 109–120.
| Crossref |
Hopkins DL,
Ponnampalam EN, Warner RD
(in press) Predicting the composition of lamb carcases using alternative fat and muscle depth measures. Meat Science ,
Hopkins DL,
Hegarty RS, Farrell TC
(2005) Relationship between sire estimated breeding values and the meat and eating quality of meat from their progeny grown on two planes of nutrition. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 45, 525–533.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hopkins DL,
Stanley DF,
Martin LC,
Ponnampalam EN, van de Ven R
(2007a) Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 1. Growth and carcass characteristics. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1208–1218.
| Crossref |
Hopkins DL,
Stanley DF,
Martin LC, Gilmour AR
(2007b) Genotype and age effects on sheep meat production. 1. Production and growth. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1119–1127.
| Crossref |
Hopkins DL,
Stanley DF,
Martin LC,
Toohey ES, Gilmour AR
(2007c) Genotype and age effects on sheep meat production. 3. Meat quality. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1155–1164.
| Crossref |
Hopkins DL,
Stanley DF,
Toohey ES,
Gardner GE,
Pethick DW, van de Ven R
(2007d) Sire and growth path effects on sheep meat production. 2. Meat and eating quality. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1219–1228.
| Crossref |
Martínez-Cerezo S,
Sanudo C,
Panea B,
Medel I,
Delfa R,
Sierra I,
Beltran JA,
Cepero R, Olleta JL
(2005) Breed, slaughter weight and ageing time effects on physico-chemical characteristics of lamb meat. Meat Science 69, 325–333.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Melton SL
(1990) Effects of feeds on flavor of red meat: a review. Journal of Animal Science 68, 4421–4435.
| PubMed |
Murphy TA,
Loerch SC,
McClure KE, Solomon MB
(1994) Effects of restricted feeding on growth performance and carcass composition of lambs. Journal of Animal Science 72, 3131–3137.
| PubMed |
Peter JB,
Barnard RJ,
Edgerton VR,
Gillespie CA, Stempel KE
(1972) Metabolic profiles of three fiber types of skeletal muscle in guinea pigs and rabbits. Biochemistry 11, 2627–2633.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
Ponnampalam EN,
Hopkins DL,
Butler KL,
Dunshea FR, Warner RD
(2007a) Genotype and age effects on sheep meat production. 2. Carcass quality traits. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1147–1154.
Ponnampalam EN,
Hopkins DL,
Dunshea FR,
Pethick DW, Warner RD
(2007b) Genotype and age effects on sheep meat production. 4. Carcass composition predicted by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1172–1179.
Rivero JL,
Talmadge RJ, Edgerton VR
(1999) Interrelationships of myofibrillar ATPase activity and metabolic properties of myosin heavy chain-based fibre types in rat skeletal muscle. Histochemistry and Cell Biology 111, 277–287.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |
Safari E,
Fogarty NM,
Ferrier GR,
Hopkins DL, Gilmour A
(2001) Diverse lamb genotypes. 3. Eating quality and the relationship between its objective measurement and sensory assessment. Meat Science 57(2), 153–159.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Salvatore L,
Allen D,
Butler KL,
Tucman D,
Elkins A,
Pethick DW, Dunshea FR
(2007) Factors affecting the concentration of short branched-chain fatty acids in sheep fat. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1201–1207.
Stafford JE, Walkley JRW
(1979) Breeding objectives and selection criteria for Australian prime lamb production. Proceedings of the Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 1, 337–353.
Teixeira A,
Batista S,
Delfa R, Cadavez V
(2005) Lamb meat quality of two breeds with protected origin designation. Influence of breed, sex and live weight. Meat Science 71, 530–536.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Thatcher LP, Gaunt GM
(1992) Effects of growth path and post-slaughter chilling regime on carcass composition and meat quality of ewe lambs. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43, 819–830.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Warner RD,
Dunshea FR,
Ponnampalam EN,
Gardner GE,
Martin KM,
Salvatore L,
Hopkins DL, Pethick DW
(2006) Quality meat from Merinos. International Journal of Sheep and Wool Science 54(2), 48–53..
Warner RD,
Ponnampalam EN,
Kearney GA,
Hopkins DL, Jacob RH
(2007) Genotype and age at slaughter influence the retail shelf-life of the loin and knuckle from sheep carcasses. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 47, 1190–1200.
Wegner J,
Albrecht E,
Fiedler I,
Teuscher F,
Papstein HJ, Ender K
(2000) Growth- and breed-related changes of muscle fiber characteristics in cattle. Journal of Animal Science 78, 1485–1496.
| PubMed |
Wood JD,
Enser M,
Fisher AV,
Nute GR,
Sheard PR,
Richardson RI,
Hughes SI, Whittington FM
(in press) Fat deposition, fatty acid composition and meat quality: a review. Meat Science ,
Young OA,
Hogg BW,
Mortimer BJ, Waller JE
(1993) Collagen in two muscles of sheep. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 36, 143–150.
Young OA,
Berdague J-L,
Viallon C,
Rousset-Akrim S, Theriez M
(1997) Fat-borne volatiles and sheepmeat odour. Meat Science 45, 183–200.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Young OA,
Lane GA,
Podmore C,
Fraser K,
Agnew MJ,
Cummings TL, Cox NR
(2006) Changes in composition and quality characteristics of ovine meat and fat from castrates and rams aged to 2 years. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 49, 419–430.
