The study conducted a comparison of meat quality, fatty acid profile, and cholesterol amounts of longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles of male lambs born to Turkish indigenous sheep breeds raised under intensive conditions. A total of 36 singleton male lambs were used as experimental animals of the Akkaraman (A), Morkaraman (M), Awassi (IW), Karayaka (KR), Kıvırcık (KV), and Middle Anatolian Merino (MAM) pure breeds. All lambs were fed the same diet until they reached a target weight of 40 kg weight. After the feeding period, all lambs were slaughtered and LD and ST muscle samples were collected to determine meat quality traits, fatty acid profile, and cholesterol amounts. Although there were no significant differences between lambs in terms of the fatty acid profile of LD and ST muscles, KR lambs had a higher cholesterol content in both muscles in comparison with the lambs born to other breeds (p<0.05). While water-holding capacity, dripping loss, pH, color, dry matter, ash, and intramuscular fat values of ST muscles showed differences among breeds (p<0.05), dripping loss, pH, cooking loss, color, dry matter, ash, protein, and intramuscular fat values of LD muscles differed between breeds (p<0.05). The data of the current study indicated that meat quality characteristics and cholesterol contents of Turkish indigenous breeds showed differences, and these differences may be used for alternative lamb meat production for the consumer.

Maternal nutrient intake during early- and mid-gestation can alter fetal growth and development with long-term consequences on the postnatal productivity and health of offspring. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal nutrition level during mid-gestation on postnatal growth rate, carcass composition, muscle fibre characteristics and meat quality in lambs. Ewes were fed from Days 30 to 80 of gestation as follows: 100% (control group, C), 50% (undernutrition, UN) or 175% (overnutrition, ON) of their daily requirement. During the rest of the gestation, the ewes in all groups were fed 100% of their daily requirements. Birth and weaning (at Day 90) weights of lambs born to ewes in nutritional groups were similar, but slaughter weights (at Day 150) and daily weight gain during finishing period of lambs born to the UN group were lower (P < 0.05). Similarly, a decrease in weights of semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus and gastrocnemius muscles was observed in the lambs born to the UN group (P < 0.05). Lambs born to the ON group had a higher (P < 0.05) concentration of DNA in longissimus dorsi (LD) and ST muscles than UN groups, but they had a lower (P < 0.05) total protein and other proteins concentrations in LD and ST muscles than those to C and UN groups. Protein to DNA ratio in LD and ST muscles of lambs born to ON group were lower than those to C and UN groups (P < 0.05). However, lambs born to the ON group had a higher number of Type IIA and IIB muscle fibres in ST muscles but not in LD muscles than those in the C and UN groups (P < 0.05). Additionally an increase in the number of fibres/mm2 muscle area in lambs born to the ON group was observed in LD and ST muscles (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between treatment groups in terms of meat quality parameters studied. This study confirms that maternal nutrition level during mid-gestation alters the postnatal growth and muscle fibre development of lambs.

The effect of maternal nutrition level during the periconception period on the muscle development of fetus and maternalmaintenance (under-fed, UF, n=32) 6 days before and 7 days after mating. Non-pregnant ewes (WF, n=13; UF, n=24) and ewes carrying twins (WF, n=1) and female (WF, n=1; UF, n=3) fetuses were removed from the experiment. The singleton male fetuses from well-fed (n=8) and under-fed (n=5) ewes were collected on day 90 of gestation and placental characteristics, fetal BWs and dimensions, fetal organs and muscles weights were recorded. Maternal (on day 7 after mating) and fetal (on day 90 of pregnancy) blood samples were collected to analyze plasma hormone concentrations. Placental characteristics, BW and dimensions, organs and muscles weights of fetuses were not affected by maternal feed intake during the periconception period. Maternal nutrition level did not affect fiber numbers and the muscle cross-sectional area of the fetal longissimus dorsi (LD), semitendinosus (ST) muscles, but the cross-sectional area of the secondary fibers in the fetal LD and ST muscles from the UF ewes were higher than those from the WF ewes (P<0.05). Also, the ratio of secondary to primary fibers in the ST muscle were tended to be lower in the fetuses from the UF ewes (P=0.07). Maternal nutrition level during the periconception period did not cause any significant changes in fetal plasma insulin and maternal and fetal plasma IGF-I, cortisol, progesterone, free T3 and T4 concentrations. However, maternal cortisol concentrations were lower while insulin concentrations were higher in the WF ewes than those in the UF ewes (P<0.05). These results indicate that the reduced maternal feed intake during the periconception period may alter muscle fiber diameter without affecting fiber types, fetal weights and organ developments and plasma hormone concentrations in the fetus.

Lactation curve and persistency of Anatolian buffaloes