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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #118407
Title: EFFECT OF VITAMIN D3 SUPPLEMENTATION LEVEL ON THE POSTMORTEM TENDERIZATION OF BEEF FROM STEERS

Author
item MONTGOMERY, J - TEXAS TECH UNIV., LUBBOCK
item CARR, M - ANGELO STATE UNIV., TX
item KERTH, C - AUBURN UNIV., AL
item HILTON, G - TEXAS TECH UNIV, LUBBOCK
item PRICE, B - TEXAS TECH UNIV., LUBBOCK
item GALYEAN, M - TEXAS TECH UNIV., LUBBOCK
item HORST, RONALD
item MILLER, M - TEXAS TECH UNIV., LUBBOCK

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Vitamin D is required for the body to build strong, healthy bones and teeth. If mammals do not receive enough vitamin D, they are unable to get the proper amount of calcium into their body to allow normal bone and tooth formation. However, if they receive too much vitamin D, more calcium than is needed can enter the body and blood calcium concentrations can rise to 40-50% above normal. If blood calcium remains at these concentrations for several days, animals can become sick and eventually die. However, most mammals can tolerate an increase in blood calcium by 20-30% for 3-5 days without any detrimental effects on performance. In this report we summarize results from experiments with beef cattle suggesting that creating a 20-30% elevation in blood calcium by feeding excess vitamin D 2-3 days before slaughter results in a tenderizing effect on meat. This result occurred in the absence of detrimental effects on feed intake or other performance parameters. Therefore, feeding excess vitamin D for short periods of time represents a very practical "on the farm" method of enhancing meat tenderness which would result in augmenting the acceptance of beef by the American and foreign consumers, and which would ultimately benefit the beef industry and consumers worldwide.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of different levels of supplemental vitamin D3 (VITD) on feedlot performance, plasma and muscle Ca, tissue residues and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBS). VITD treatments (28 head per treatment) were 0, «, 1, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 million IU/steer/d of VITD fed 9 consecutive d before slaughter. VITD treatments of 5 and 7.5 million IU/steer/d reduced average daily gain and treatment of 2.5, 5, and 7.5 million IU/steer/d reduced average feed intake at the end of the feeding trial. VITD treatment linearly increased (P less than .01) plasma Ca. Calpastatin and calpain activity were not influenced by treatment (P more than .05). Muscle Ca was increased (P less than .05) by VITD treatments of 1, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 million IU/steer/d. Supplementing VITD levels of 1, 2.5, 5, and 7.5 million IU/steer/d increased VITD concentrations in strip loin and liver samples. Cooking liver reduced VITD concentrations slightly. VITD treatment of «, 1, and 5 million IU/steer/d decreased top round steak WBS at 7 d and all VITD treatments decreased 10 d top round steak WBS. Supplementing steers « million IU/d of VITD also decreased top round steak WBS at 21 d postmortem when compared to controls. Sensory panel tenderness at 7 d postmortem was increased by all VITD treatments in top round steaks, yet strip loin steak tenderness scores were not affected by VITD treatment. VITD treatment quadratically decreased round WBS. Thus, VITD treatment will effectively improve beef tenderness if cattle tend to be tough and have no impact on cattle that produce tender beef. Feeding steers « million IU of VITD for 9 d improved beef tenderness in 2 muscles without negatively impacting feedlot performance or tissue residues.