Impact of Heatwaves on the Physiology and Retail Meat Quality of Lambs

Overview

Journal Foods

Specialty Biotechnology

Date 2022 Feb 15

PMID 35159563

Authors

Minghao Zhang

Robyn D Warner

Frank R Dunshea

Kristy DiGiacomo

Aleena Joy

Archana Abhijith

Pragna Prathap

Ting Ma

Surinder S Chauhan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The experiment investigated the impact of heatwaves (HWs) on the physiology, postmortem muscle metabolism and meat quality of lambs. Seventy-two second-cross lambs (Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)) were selected and exposed to either 1, 3 or 5 days of HWs or thermoneutal (TN) (28-38 °C and 40-60% relative humidity, RH; 18-21 °C, 40-55% RH) conditions in climate-controlled chambers. Lambs exposed to 1-5 days of a HW exhibited higher respiration rates (RRs), rectal temperatures (RTs), skin temperatures (STs) and heart rates (HRs) compared to lambs exposed to an equal duration of TN conditions. However, HWs had no significant effects on muscle metabolism (rate and extent of pH decline, muscle glycogen and lactate content) and meat quality (cooking loss and shear force). Similarly, there were limited impacts of 1-5 days of HW on the colour (*, *, * and R630/580) and drip loss of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles for 4 days' overwrap retail display. Results suggest that short-duration HWs (1-5 days) had significant negative effects on animal physiology but had no effect on the muscle metabolism and meat quality.

Citing Articles

Impact of heat stress on ruminant livestock production and meat quality, and strategies for amelioration.

Chauhan S, Zhang M, Osei-Amponsah R, Clarke I, Sejian V, Warner R Anim Front. 2023; 13(5):60-68.

PMID: 37841767 PMC: 10575297. DOI: 10.1093/af/vfad046.

References

Macias-Cruz U, Saavedra O, Correa-Calderon A, Mellado M, Torrentera N, Chay-Canul A . Feedlot growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of hair breed male lambs exposed to seasonal heat stress (winter vs. summer) in an arid climate. Meat Sci. 2020; 169:108202. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2020.108202. View

Bendall J . Variability in rates of pH fall and of lactate production in the muscles on cooling beef carcasses. Meat Sci. 2011; 2(2):91-104. DOI: 10.1016/0309-1740(78)90010-4. View

Kadim I, Mahgoub O, Al-Marzooqi W, Al-Ajmi D, Al-Maqbali R, Al-Lawati S . The influence of seasonal temperatures on meat quality characteristics of hot-boned, m. psoas major and minor, from goats and sheep. Meat Sci. 2011; 80(2):210-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.11.022. View

Warriss P, Kestin S, Brown S, Knowles T, Wilkins L, Edwards J . The depletion of glycogen stores and indices of dehydration in transported broilers. Br Vet J. 1993; 149(4):391-8. DOI: 10.1016/S0007-1935(05)80078-8. View

Otto G, Roehe R, Looft H, Thoelking L, Kalm E . Comparison of different methods for determination of drip loss and their relationships to meat quality and carcass characteristics in pigs. Meat Sci. 2011; 68(3):401-9. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.04.007. View

Gonzalez-Rivas P, Chauhan S, Ha M, Fegan N, Dunshea F, Warner R . Effects of heat stress on animal physiology, metabolism, and meat quality: A review. Meat Sci. 2019; 162:108025. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2019.108025. View

Zhang M, Dunshea F, Warner R, DiGiacomo K, Osei-Amponsah R, Chauhan S . Impacts of heat stress on meat quality and strategies for amelioration: a review. Int J Biometeorol. 2020; 64(9):1613-1628. DOI: 10.1007/s00484-020-01929-6. View

Cheng H, Song S, Kim G . Frozen/thawed meat quality associated with muscle fiber characteristics of porcine longissimus thoracis et lumborum, psoas major, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus muscles. Sci Rep. 2021; 11(1):13354. PMC: 8233445. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92908-3. View

Chauhan S, Dunshea F, Plozza T, Hopkins D, Ponnampalam E . The Impact of Antioxidant Supplementation and Heat Stress on Carcass Characteristics, Muscle Nutritional Profile and Functionality of Lamb Meat. Animals (Basel). 2020; 10(8). PMC: 7460097. DOI: 10.3390/ani10081286. View

10.

Chauhan S, England E . Postmortem glycolysis and glycogenolysis: insights from species comparisons. Meat Sci. 2018; 144:118-126. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.06.021. View

11.

Archana P, Sejian V, Ruban W, Bagath M, Krishnan G, Aleena J . Comparative assessment of heat stress induced changes in carcass traits, plasma leptin profile and skeletal muscle myostatin and HSP70 gene expression patterns between indigenous Osmanabadi and Salem Black goat breeds. Meat Sci. 2018; 141:66-80. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2018.03.015. View

12.

Kadim I, Mahgoub O, Al-Ajmi D, Al-Maqbaly R, Al-Mugheiry S, Bartolome D . The influence of season on quality characteristics of hot-boned beef m. longissimus thoracis. Meat Sci. 2011; 66(4):831-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2003.08.001. View

13.

Chauhan S, Celi P, Leury B, Dunshea F . High dietary selenium and vitamin E supplementation ameliorates the impacts of heat load on oxidative status and acid-base balance in sheep. J Anim Sci. 2015; 93(7):3342-54. DOI: 10.2527/jas.2014-8731. View

14.

Zhang M, Warner R, Dunshea F, DiGiacomo K, Joy A, Abhijith A . Impact of heat stress on the growth performance and retail meat quality of 2nd cross (Poll Dorset × (Border Leicester × Merino)) and Dorper lambs. Meat Sci. 2021; 181:108581. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108581. View

15.

Oishi Y, Taniguchi K, Matsumoto H, Ishihara A, Ohira Y, Roy R . Differential responses of HSPs to heat stress in slow and fast regions of rat gastrocnemius muscle. Muscle Nerve. 2003; 28(5):587-94. DOI: 10.1002/mus.10476. View

16.

Hales J, Brown G . Net energetic and thermoregulatory efficiency during panting in the sheep. Comp Biochem Physiol A Comp Physiol. 1974; 49(3A):413-22. DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(74)90557-x. View

17.

Margolis L, Wilson M, Whitney C, Carrigan C, Murphy N, Hatch A . Exercising with low muscle glycogen content increases fat oxidation and decreases endogenous, but not exogenous carbohydrate oxidation. Metabolism. 2019; 97:1-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2019.05.003. View

18.

Abhijith A, Warner R, Ha M, Dunshea F, Leury B, Zhang M . Effect of slaughter age and post-mortem days on meat quality of longissimus and semimembranosus muscles of Boer goats. Meat Sci. 2021; 175:108466. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108466. View

19.

Joy A, Dunshea F, Leury B, DiGiacomo K, Clarke I, Zhang M . Comparative Assessment of Thermotolerance in Dorper and Second-Cross (Poll Dorset/Merino × Border Leicester) Lambs. Animals (Basel). 2021; 10(12). PMC: 7766003. DOI: 10.3390/ani10122441. View

20.

Alcalde M, Suarez M, Rodero E, Alvarez R, Saez M, Martinez T . Effects of farm management practices and transport duration on stress response and meat quality traits of suckling goat kids. Animal. 2017; 11(9):1626-1635. DOI: 10.1017/S1751731116002858. View