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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Ruminant Diseases and Immunology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #159848
Title: FEEDING 25-HYDROXYVITAMIN D3 TO IMPROVE BEEF TENDERNESS

Author
item WERTZ, A - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item KNIGHT, T - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item TRENKLE, A - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item SONON, R - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item Horst, Ronald
item HUFF-LONERGAN, E - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES
item BEITZ, D - IOWA STATE UNIV, AMES

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2003
Publication Date: 5/20/2004
Citation: Wertz, A.E., Knight, T.J., Trenkle, A., Sonon, R., Horst, R.L., Huff-Lonergan, E.J., Beitz, D.C. 2004. Feeding 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 to improve beef tenderness. Journal of Animal Science. 82(5):1410-1418.

Interpretive Summary: Vitamin D is required for the body to build strong, healthy bones and teeth. If mammals do not receive enough vitamin D, they are unable to get the proper amount of calcium into their body to allow normal bone and tooth formation. However, if they receive too much vitamin D, more calcium than is needed can enter the body and blood calcium concentrations can rise to 40-50% above normal. If blood calcium remains at these concentrations for several days, animals can become sick and eventually die. However, most mammals can tolerate an increase in blood calcium by 20-30% for 3-5 days without any detrimental effects on performance. In previous reports we demonstrated that creating a 20-30% elevation in blood calcium by feeding excess vitamin D for 2-3 days before slaughter results in a tenderizing effect on meat. In this experiment we used a metabolite of vitamin D, namely 25-hydroxyvitamin D, in an attempt to achieve the same effect. This metabolite is more active than vitamin D and can be given at much lower doses. We showed that at the doses used in this experiment we could not achieve the elevation of blood calcium nor any beneficial effects on improvement in meat tenderness. Future experiments will be conducted using higher doses of 25-hydroxyvitamin D. These experiments will be very beneficial to producers and stakeholders worldwide.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this trial was to determine if a single oral bolus of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25-OHD3) given at various times before harvest would enhance the tenderness of beef loin steaks. One hundred and eight crossbred steers were allotted to 18 pens so that mean weight of the cattle in each pen was similar. Treatments were 25-OHD3 dosage (62.5 or 125 mg) and time of administration of the single oral bolus (4, 7, 21, or 35 d before harvest). Treatments were assigned randomly to each pen of steers. Serial plasma samples were collected at each bolusing time for control animals. For steers assigned to a treatment group, a baseline blood sample was collected prior to bolus administration and at each subsequent bolusing times when other treatment groups received their bolus. Plasma samples were assayed for 25-OHD3 and calcium concentrations. Troponin-T degradation and Warner-Bratzler shear force were measured as indicators of tenderness for loin steaks collected at harvest and aged for 6 or 14 d postmortem. Muscle samples collected concurrently were assayed for 25-OHD3 and calcium concentrations. A single oral bolus of 25-OHD3 was sufficient to elevate plasma 25-OHD3 concentrations (P less than 0.001) through harvest regardless of dosage or time of bolus administration. The single oral bolus of 25-OHD3, however, did not elevate plasma calcium concentrations (P more than 0.05), and, as a result, neither troponin-T degradation nor Warner-Bratzler shear force was improved (P more than 0.05). Muscle 25-OHD3 concentrations were elevated (P more than 0.001) by treatment with 25-OHD3. Although 25-OHD3 remains elevated in the plasma for up to 35 d subsequent to administration of a single oral bolus of 62.5 or 125 mg 25-OHD3, sustained plasma 25-OHD3 concentrations do not elevate plasma or muscle calcium at harvest or influence tenderness. Using 25-OHD3 as a nutritional means of improving beef tenderness has been studied minimally, and, as a result, more research to delineate the exact dosage and the potential for environmental interaction.