Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #142263
Title: USE OF 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D3 TO IMPROVE BEEF TENDERNESS

Author
item WERTZ, A - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item TRENKLE, A - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item Horst, Ronald
item PARRISH, F - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item HUFF-LONERGAN, E - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item KNIGHT, T - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item SONON, R - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item BEITZ, D - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES

Submitted to: American Dairy Science Association Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/24/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Previous research in our laboratory has indicated that plasma calcium concentration remained elevated after the oral administration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD) had been terminated. We hypothesized that a one-time oral bolus of 25-OHD would be sufficient to elevate plasma and tissue calcium concentrations so that the calcium-dependent protease system could more rapidly degrade myofibrillar proteins postmortem and result in more tender beef. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effects of a one-time bolus of 25-OHD on plasma calcium concentration and tenderness of loin steaks from beef cattle. Continental crossbred steers (n=108) were allotted to 18 pens (6 head/pen). Treatments were 25-OHD dosage (62.5 or 125 mg) and time before harvest (35, 21, 7, or 4 d). Each dosage by time combination was assigned randomly to 2 pens, and 2 pens served as the control, receiving no 25-OHD. A blood sample was collected at harvest for control and all treatment groups. A 2.54-cm loin steak was removed at 48 h postmortem, vacuum packaged, and aged at 2 C to d 6 postmortem. Steaks from one-half of the cattle in each pen were used for measurement of Warner-Bratzler shear force and troponin-T degradation as indicators of muscle tenderness. Average DM intake, ADG, and feed efficiency did not differ (P more than 0.05) as a result of 25-OHD treatment. The one-time oral bolus of 25-OHD, regardless of time of administration, did not elevate (P more than 0.05) the calcium concentration of plasma collected at harvest. Warner-Bratzler shear force averaged 4.0 kg among treatments and did not differ (P more than 0.05) as a result of 25-OHD treatment. The intensity of the 30 kDa protein component of troponin-T degradation was not different (P more than 0.05) as a result of 25-OHD treatment. Administration of a one-time oral bolus of 25-OHD 35, 21, 7, or 4 d before harvest was not sufficient to result in elevated plasma calcium concentration at harvest or in the improved tenderness of the loin steak at 6 d postmortem.