Effect of Inclusion of Lacquer (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) Meal on Carcass Traits and Meat Quality in Growing-finishing Pigs

Abstract

In this study, pigs [n=117; (Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc; 64±0.5 kg initial body weight] were used to investigate the effect of feeding different levels of lacquer (Rhus verniciflua Stokes) meal on performance, carcass traits and quality of meat kept under refrigeration at 3±1 o C. The pigs were randomly allotted to 3 treatments on the basis of body weight and sex and each treatment was replicated 3 times (13 pigs in each replicate). Lacquer meal in sawdust form obtained from the stem bark and heartwood of sun-dried lacquer trees was added to the grower and finisher diets at 0, 20 and 40 g/kg diet. The experimental diets were fed for 8 wk. Inclusion of lacquer meal had no influence (p>0.05) on growth performance of pigs. Improvement in carcass traits and decreased back fat thickness were noticed in pigs fed diets added with 20 and 40 g/kg lacquer meal. Longissimus muscle obtained from pigs fed lacquer meal had higher moisture and lower fat content, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and water holding capacity. Meat from lacquer fed pigs was also darker and redder. The data indicates that lacquer meal can be incorporated up to 40 g/kg in the diet of fattening pigs without affecting growth performance. Also, lacquer meal increases carcass lean content and improves the oxidative stability of the meat.

Effects of dietary supplementation with detoxified Rhus verniciflua sap on egg production, yolk lipid and intestinal microflora in laying hens

“…The RV extract is used to treat gastritis and atherosclerosis as oriental medicine [ 5 ], making it potentially useful for domestic animals. It has been reported that dietary RV extract increased fat digestibility in broiler chickens [ 11 ] and improved the oxidative stability of pork meats [ 10 ] without affecting growth performance. In this study, we evaluated the effects of graded levels of RVS on laying performance, egg quality, lipid metabolism and cecal microflora in laying hens.…”

“…Among them, urushiol is an oily organic component and exerts several beneficial effects such as antimicrobial [ 7 ], and antioxidant [ 8 ] activities. Due to the afore-mentioned effects [ 7 , 8 ], RV and urushiol were tested as the feed supplements to enhance health and/or productivity in pigs [ 9 , 10 ] and broiler chickens [ 11 ]. However, it is reported that urushiol might have toxic effects as it is the main antigen of Rhus and exhibits strong antigenicity in animals [ 12 ].…”

“…Thus it is recommended to be detoxified before practical use, e.g., by employing polymerization process via simple heating [ 12 ]. Unfortunately, the RV products used in animal feeding trials [ 10 , 11 ] were not detoxified albeit that there are no studies reporting detrimental effects of intact (i.e., un-detoxified) RVS on animal performance and general health of livestock. In addition, information on the dietary effects of detoxified RVS on laying performance and physiological responses in commercial layers is very limited, which prompted us to set up the current experiment to evaluate the dietary effect of detoxified RVS on egg production, egg quality, lipid fraction of liver and egg yolk in laying hens.…”

Effect of dietary supplementation of fermented Rhus verniciflua on growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, blood profile, and fecal microflora in weanling pigs

“…It also improved the oxidative stability of meat in finishing pigs but without affecting carcass traits and performance (Song et al, 2008). In another study, it was indicated that the supplementation of RV meal in the diet of growing-finishing pigs improved carcass traits and decreased back fat thickness during refrigerated storage (Song et al, 2010).…”