Composição tecidual do corte baixo de cordeiros terminados com dieta contendo o aditivo quitosana

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the low carcass tissue composition of the carcass of feedlot lambs receiving chitosan diet. Twenty-four crossbred lambs aged 4 ± 0.5 months, average weight of 20 ± 5 kg were housed in individual pens for 70 days (preceded by 16 days of adaptation to the premises). The experimental design was randomized blocks based on weight. The lambs were distributed in two treatments: 1) Control - without additive and 2) Chitosan: 3g / day, both topdressed with a portion of the protein mixture. The diet provided had a roughage: concentrate ratio of 15:85, where the roughage was Cynodon spp. (15%), and the concentrate composed of rehydrated corn grain silage (66%), a mineral protein mixture (19%) consisting of ground soybean and mineral mixture. After 24 hours of refrigeration the carcasses were sectioned longitudinally in half and the left half carcass for measurements and the right half carcass for commercial cuts, and the low sections were dissected and separated respectively into subcutaneous fat, intermuscular fat, muscle, bones and others were then weighed to quantify the tissue composition of the cuts. The low cut tissue composition was not affected by the different levels of chitosan added to the diet, however, there was a difference in sex due to the physiology of each animal sex.