The current study was conducted to identify technology for the production of high quality pork, based on the meat consumption habits of consumers. Macsumsuk, a type of kaolinite (a clay mineral), and/or a mixture of herbs (Mori Folium, Sophorae Radix, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Citri Leiocarpae Exocarpium, and Pogostemi Herba) were added to the diets of fattening pigs. Sixty barrow pigs (4 kinds of treatment × 5 pigs/treatment × 3 replicates) were randomly assigned to either the Control (no additives), T1 (3% Macsumsuk), T2 (3% Herb mixtures), or T3 (3% Macsumsuk + 3% Herb mixtures) groups, and were fed the diets for 60 d. Dressed weights were in the order of T1 (93.40±4.68kg) > T2 (91.40±6.52kg) > Control (88.80±1.57kg) > T3 (86.80±2.01kg). Back-fat thickness of the Control animals (23.2±1.03) was significantly greater than that of the various treatment groups (p<0.01). Numeric values representing the carcass yield and quality grade were higher for all the treated groups than the Control group, thought the difference was not statistically significant. Crude fat content was significantly higher in the Control group (2.23±0.34%) than in the treated groups (p<0.05). The addition of both Macsumsuk and herb mixtures into the diets of the pigs significantly reduced cooking loss of the pork compared to the Control (p<0.05). No statistically significant changes were observed in the shear force (average 5.87±0.54 kg/cm2), water holding capacity (average 54.59±3.16%), or CIE values of the pork, whereas cholesterol levels significantly decreased (p<0.01) in those fed Macsumsuk and/or the herb mixtures. No significant changes in fatty acid composition, total saturated fatty acid (SFA), total unsaturated fatty acid (UFA), or UFA/SFA ratios were observed by any of the treatments. In conclusion, the results obtained from this study suggest that the addition of Macsumsuk and/or herb mixtures into the diets of growing and fattening pigs improves the pork quality by reducing cooking loss, decreasing cholesterol content, and enhancing sensory characteristics.

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The current study was conducted to compare the growth performance and physico-chemical characteristics of Hanwoo bulls and steers of different slaughtering ages. Thirty-six Hanwoo (average age, 13-mon) were allocated into either a bull or steer group (18 animals/group). Each group was sub-divided into 26-, 28-, and 30-mon-old age groups (six animals/group). Surgical castration was performed in the steer group immediately after the experimental groups were assigned. Growth performance of the animals, as well as carcass characteristics and fatty acid composition of M. longissimus dorsi were determined. Cold carcass weights increased as carcass slaughtering age increased in both Hanwoo bulls and steers (p<0.05). Backfat thickness was thickest (p<0.05) in 28-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and 30-mon-old steer, and the M. longissimus dorsi area was widest (p< 0.05) in 28-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers. Marbling score, cooking loss, and water holding capacity (WHC) were higher (p<0.05) in 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers as slaughtering age increased. The shear force value was highest in 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and 26-mon-old Hanwoo steers compared to that in other groups. The unsaturated fatty acid composition in M. longissimus dorsi was significantly (p<0.05) higher in 28-and 30-mon-old Hanwoo bulls and steers than that in other groups. The results suggest that castration, even at late stages of Hanwoo development, improved beef carcass quality grade, and that no difference in beef quality grade had occurred (marbling score and WHC) in 28-and 30-mon-old slaughtering age Hanwoo steers.

This study aims to estimate the genetic parameters for carcass traits on Hanwoo of breeding farmhouses using Animal Products Grading Service's data of 428,812 cattle from 101 slaughterhouses nationwide from 2000 to 2005. Using carcass traits of carcass weight, eye muscle area, backfat thickness, marbling score, meat color and fat color that greatly influence Hanwoo's grade, the effects of carcass year, carcass season, sex and carcass region were estimated.Based upon carcass traits of carcass weight, eye muscle area, backfat thickness, marbling score and meat color that greatly influence Hanwoo's grade, the heritabilities and genetic parameters were estimated of 17,578 Hanwoo slaughtered in 2005 with existing herdbook, where EM-REML algorithm was used in estimating genetic parameters.The mean and standard deviation of each carcass trait are 321.42±53.62 kg, 76.25±10.43cm 2 , 9.96± 4.14mm, 3.75±2.00, 4.83±0.48 and 2.99±0.40, for carcass weight, eye muscle area, backfat thickness, marbling score, meat color and fat color, respectively. As a result of analysis on the effects of carcass year, the carcass weight, backfat thickness and meat color came out highest as 359.40±0.181, 9.82±0.017 and 4.90±0.002, respectively in 2004. As a result of analysis on the effects of carcass season, the carcass weight and eye muscle area came out highest as 345.88±0.144 and 79.57±0.033 respectively in spring, and the backfat thickness was highest as 8.78±0.013 in winter, and the meat color and fat color slightly came out higher as 4.88±0.002 and 2.96±0.001 in fall, while the marbling score was highest as 3.29±0.006 in summer. The results of the analysis on the effects of sex indicated that the backfat thickness and fat color were highest as 10.53±0.010 and 3.07±0.001 in cow, the carcass weight came out highest in Hanwoo steer as 368.03±0.068 kg, the eye muscle area were highest as 82.96±0.042 in bull, and the marbling score was highest as 4.19±0.007 in steer, and the meat color was highest as 4.89±0.001 in cow.Regarding the results of analysis on the effects of carcass region, the carcass weight, eye muscle area,

The current study was conducted to determine the effects of herbal supplement on growth performances and diarrhea in Hanwoo calves. Total 24 Hanwoo calves (3 treatments: 8 calves per treatment) were randomly assigned to either Control (no treatment), Treatment 1 (0.3% herb supplement), or Treatment 2 (0.5% herb supplement) diets for 150 days. Total body weight gain and total feed intake per head in Treatment 1 was 142.8 kg and 545.9 kg, respectively, and it was higher (p<0.05) compared to other groups. The blood total cholesterol range was 86.43~97.00 mg/dl, triglycerides 13.26~13.86 mg/dl, GOT 76.97~79.60 mg/dl, GPT 19.54~20.97 mg/dl, WBC 8.75~9.95 k/㎕, RBC 10.14~11.91 M/㎕, and hemoglobin 10.74~11.20 g/㎗, respectively, with no significant (p>0.05) differences among treatments. The blood immunoglobulin G levels were 5.74~6.05 mg/ml which tended to decrease as experimental period extended. Total number of pathogens in feces showed peaks at 1~2 months after the initiation of experiment, and tended to decrease thereafter. Total number of Eimeria spp., E. coli and BVDV in feces showed no significant differences but control group showed higher counts than both treatment groups. During overall period, the incidence of pathogenic diarrhea in calves of 2 treatment groups was much lower than control group calves (C: 24, vs T1: 9, T2: 13 heads), however, it was not significant (p>0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of herbs in Hanwoo calf diets might be beneficial to improve growth performances and prevent diarrhea.