The Effects of Pre-slaughter Stress and Season on the Activity of Plasma Creatine Kinase and Mutton Quality from Different Sheep Breeds Slaughtered at a Smallholder Abattoir

Abstract

The objective of the current study was to determine the effect of pre-slaughter stress, season and breed on the activity of plasma creatine kinase (CK) and the quality of mutton. One hundred and seventy-three (173) castrated sheep from Dormer (DM), South African Mutton Merino (SAMM), Dorper (DP) and Blackhead Persian (BP) sheep breeds were used in the study. The animals were grouped according to age-groups as follows: Group 1 (6 to 8 months), Group 2 (9 to 12 months) and Group 3 (13 to 16 months). Blood samples were collected during exsanguinations using disposable vacutainer tubes for CK analysis. Representative samples of the Muscularis longissimuss thoracis et. lumborum (LTL) were collected from 84 castrated sheep, of different breeds (28 per breed) 24 h after slaughter. The following physico-chemical characteristics of mutton were determined; meat pH (pH24), color (L*, a* and b*), thawing and cooking losses and Warner Braztler Shear Force (WBSF). The activity of plasma CK was significantly higher (p<0.001) in summer (1,026.3±105.06) and lower in winter (723.3±77.75). There were higher values for L* (33.7±0.94), b* (11.5±0.48) and WBSF (29.5±1.46) in summer season than in winter season; L* (29.4±0.64), b* (10.2±0.33) and WBSF (21.2±0.99). The activity of plasma CK was influenced by the type of breed with Dormer having the highest (p>0.001) levels (1,358.6±191.08) of CK. South African Mutton Merino had higher values for pH24 (5.9±0.06), L* (34.2±0.97), b* (12.2±0.50) and WBSF (26.8±1.51) and Blackhead Persian had higher values (35.5±2.17) for cooking loss (CL%) than the other breeds. Computed Principal Component Analyses (PCA) on the activity of plasma CK and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton revealed no correlations between these variables. However, positive correlations were observed between pH24, L*, a*, b*, CL% and WBSF. Relationships between pre-slaughter stress, CK activity and physico-chemical characteristics of mutton were also observed. It was therefore concluded that although mutton quality and creatine kinase were not related, pre-slaughter stress, season and breed affected the activity of creatine kinase and mutton quality.

Effect of slaughter season on postmortem metabolic characteristics of muscle in the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

“…Similar trends were also reported by Chulayo and Muchenje (2013) and Sanchez-Sanchez et al (2013) in lamb. However, this finding conflicted with the work of Suliman et al (2016), who found that the loss of camel meat while cooking was significantly higher in summer than in winter and fall.…”

“…Extensive studies have been reported about the effect of slaughter season on meat quality in different species such as rabbit (María et al, 2006), chicken (Bianchi et al, 2007), goat (Kadim et al, 2008b), beef (Węglarz, 2010), lamb (Chulayo and Muchenje, 2013;D'Alessandro et al, 2013;Sanchez-Sanchez et al, 2013) and pig (Correa et al, 2014). However, these aspects were not common for camels.…”

Effect of space allowance during transport and fasting or non-fasting during lairage on carcass contamination and meat traits in Merino lamb

“…Liste et al (2011) reported a significantly higher yellow index in lambs slaughtered with not previous lairage. Other authors (Chulayo & Muchenje, 2013) also reported that adverse pre-slaughter stressors negatively affected meat quality attributes such as colour. The remaining groups showed similar colour coordinates values at 1 day and at 6 d post-mortem.…”

“…The effect combined of stressful factors previous to slaughter could reduce muscle glycogen concentration, affecting pH 24 h post-mortem and reduce meat quality (Chulayo & Muchenje, 2013). There is little information about the effect of space allowance during transport or management (fasting or feeding) during lairage, nor the interaction between these factors on carcass microbial quality and meat quality variables in Merino lambs (28 kg weight).…”

Microbiological indexes of mutton at monieziosis

“…Водночас варто зазначити, що повністю уникнути контамінації м'яса практично неможливо, на мікробне обсіменіння м'яса може впливати широкий ряд факторів: недотримання стандартів забою та післязабійної обробки, стрес-фактори, породний фактор, прижиттєві захворювання, в тому числі гельмінтози. Але незважаючи на це, аналіз мікробіологічних ризиків є найбільш ефективною системою оцінки і контролю безпечності м'яса і м'ясних продуктів, зокрема баранини (Frederic et al, 2010;Chulayo and Muchenje, 2013;Iakubchak and Taran, 2014).…”