Short term magnesium supplementation to reduce dark cutting in pasture finished beef cattle

Title
Short term magnesium supplementation to reduce dark cutting in pasture finished beef cattle
Publication Date
2021-10
Author(s)
Loudon, K M W
Tarr, G
Lean, I J
McLerie, L
Leahy, N
Pethick, D W
Gardner, G E
McGilchrist, P
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3265-1134
Email: pmcgilc2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:pmcgilc2
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Place of publication
The Netherlands
DOI
10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108560
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/59934
Abstract

This study assessed the capacity of magnesium supplementation to reduce muscle glycogen loss, ultimate pH and increase plasma magnesium in pasture fed slaughter cattle. Beef cattle (n = 1075) from 14 farms were supplemented with or without magnesium pellets for 7–14 days prior to slaughter. Magnesium was allocated at 9.83 g of elemental magnesium per head per day, while the control diet was balanced to be isoenergetic and isonitrogenous, but contained no added magnesium. Groups of cattle (n = 44) were slaughtered at the same processing plant over two consecutive seasons, from August – September 2016 to May – July 2017.

Magnesium supplementation increased muscle glycogen (P < 0.01) in cattle supplied from 2 of 14 farms, and increased plasma magnesium in 4 of 14 farms (P < 0.01). Magnesium supplementation had no effect on overall incidence of ultimate pH between the magnesium and control supplementation groups. The benefits of short term magnesium supplementation prior to slaughter was inconsistent for protecting muscle glycogen.

Link
Citation
Meat Science, v.180, p. 1-11
ISSN
1873-4138
0309-1740
Start page
1
End page
11

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink