The Professional Animal Scientist Spears et al. 19 (2003):424–428
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of High Dietary Calcium Effects Propionate and Dietary CationAnion Balance on Calcium Metabolism and Longissimus Muscle Tenderness in Finishing Steers1, 2 J. W. SPEARS*,3, PAS, T. E. ENGLE†, PAS, W. R. PLATTER†, K. E. LLOYD*, K. E. BELK† , and J. HORTON‡,4, PAS *Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27695-7621; †Department of Animal Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523-1171; and ‡Kemin Americas, Des Moines, IA 50301-0070
Abstract Forty-eight Angus and Angus-cross steers (initial BW = 657 ± 5.7 kg) were used in a 2 × 2 factorial design to determine whether feeding an anionic diet or high dietary concentrations of a soluble calcium (Ca propionate) source or both would alter Ca metabolism and subsequently longissimus tenderness. Treatments consisted of 1) control, 2) 4% Ca propionate (CaProp), 3) 2% NH4Cl
1Use
of trade names in this publication does not imply endorsement by the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service or criticism of similar products not mentioned.
2This research was supported in part by a gift
from Kemin Americas, Des Moines, IA. 3To
whom correspondence should be addressed:
[email protected] 4Present address: Nutrition Service Associates,
P. O. Box 350, Hereford, TX 79045.
(anionic diet), and 4) CaProp plus 2% NH4Cl. Experimental diets were fed for 7 d prior to slaughter. Steers were individually fed using electronic Calan gate feeders. Blood samples were obtained on d 3 and 7 at 2 h post feeding for plasma Ca determination. A striploin steak was obtained from each carcass at 48 h post harvest for muscle Ca analysis and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) determination. Addition of CaProp or NH4Cl to the high concentrate finishing diet reduced (P
