N-acetyl-l-methionine dietary supplementation improves meat quality by oxidative stability of finishing Angus heifers

Yue Liu; Wanbao Chen; Shuo Zhang; Xiaohui Zhu; Hao Wu; Qingxiang Meng; Muhammad Zahoor Khan; Zhu Yu; Zhenming Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.meatsci.2024.109499

N-acetyl-l-methionine dietary supplementation improves meat quality by oxidative stability of finishing Angus heifers

Meat Sci. 2024 Mar 20:214:109499. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2024.109499. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Yue Liu¹, Wanbao Chen², Shuo Zhang², Xiaohui Zhu², Hao Wu², Qingxiang Meng², Muhammad Zahoor Khan³, Zhu Yu¹, Zhenming Zhou⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
² State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China.
³ Liaocheng Research Institute of Donkey High-Efficiency Breeding and Ecological Feeding, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, PR China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China. Electronic address: zhouzm@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 38677056
DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2024.109499

Abstract

Methionine plays a vital role in protein synthesis, and regulation of antioxidant response in ruminants. This study aimed to assess the effects of dietary supplementation with N-acetyl-l-methionine (NALM), which serves a source of rumen-protected methionine, on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and oxidative stability. Sixty Angus heifers (initial body weight = 408 ± 51.2 kg, 15-18 months) were stratified by body weight and randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a control group (0% NALM), and experimental groups receiving diets containing 0.125%, 0.25%, and 0.50% NALM (dry matter (DM) basis), respectively. The experiment included a 2-week adaptation and a 22-week data and sample collection period. Results indicated that blood urea nitrogen in the plasma of the 0.25% NALM group was lower compared to the control and the 0.50% NALM groups (P = 0.02). The plasma methionine (P = 0.04), proline (P < 0.01), and tryptophan (P = 0.05) were higher in the 0.25% and 0.50% NALM groups, as well as the methionine and proline in the muscle of the 0.25% NALM group (P < 0.01). The muscle pH (P < 0.01) was increased by supplementing 0.25% and 0.50% NALM in diets but decreased the lactate (P < 0.01). The 0.25% NALM group also increased a* (P = 0.05), decreased L* (P = 0.05), drip loss (P = 0.01), and glycolytic potential in the muscle (P < 0.01). The total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione in muscle of 0.25% NALM group were higher than that of the control (P < 0.01), and the malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl were lower (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the dietary supplement with NALM improves meat quality by enhancing the antioxidant effect of lipids and proteins.

Keywords: Antioxidant capacity; Finishing cattle; Meat quality; N-acetyl-l-methionine.