Do Liver Abscesses in Beef x Dairy Cattle Influence Postmortem Metabolites and Lean Color?
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2023-11-29
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Abstract
Beef x Dairy (BxD) steers (n = 537) were identified and a subset (n = 201) were evaluated for the presence and severity of liver abscesses. Carcasses were selected (n = 30) to determine the relationship between liver abscesses, metabolites, and lean color. Three abscess categories were identified, 1) MAJOR (A+), 2) MINOR (A-,A), and 3) NORMAL (0). Liver, and pre-rigor M. sternomandibularis (Pre-Sterno) tissues were collected. Carcass data were recorded, post-rigor M. sternomandibularis (Post-Sterno) excised, and instrumental color and pH measured. Beef strip loins were collected (n = 30); one steak was frozen for further analyses and two steaks from each loin were evaluated for instrumental color over 5 d. Liver, Pre-Sterno, Post-Sterno, and strip loin tissue were evaluated for Glucose-6-Phosphate (G-6-P), glucose, glycogen, lactate, and citrate concentration. Liver abscess rate was 43.78% (n = 201), with 29.36% severe. There was no (P = 0.4374) difference in pH, and NORMAL possessed the highest in-plant a* values (P = 0.0211). For instrumental color over 5 d, MINOR had the highest L* values (P = 0.0035), MAJOR the highest a* (P = 0.0020) and chroma values (P < 0.0001), MAJOR and MINOR the highest b* values (P < 0.0001), and NORMAL the highest hue values (P < 0.0001). MAJOR had the highest ratio of oxymyoglobin (P < 0.0001) and deoxymyoglobin (P = 0.0088), and NORMAL the highest metmyoglobin (P < 0.0001). NORMAL had the most liver G-6-P (P = 0.0012), least liver glycogen (P = 0.342), most Pre-Sterno glucose (P = 0.0020), and most strip loin G-6-P (P = 0.0026). MAJOR contained the most liver glucose (P = 0.0054), and strip loin citrate (P = 0.0436). MAJOR and MINOR had the most liver glycogen (P = 0.0342), leading to the highest liver glycolytic potential (P = 0.0245). Initial a* values revealed a redder color for NORMAL early postmortem, but metabolite differences influenced higher color stability for MAJOR and MINOR over 5 d. Overall, differences in color and color stability of strip loins indicate that there could be a relationship between liver abscesses and postmortem lean color.
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Beef x Dairy, lean color, liver abscess, metabolites, color stability