B. Picard et al., INFLUENCE OF CASTRATION AND POSTNATAL ENERGY RESTRICTION ON THE CONTRACTILE AND METABOLIC CHARACTERISTICS OF BOVINE MUSCLE, Annales de zootechnie, 44(4), 1995, pp. 347-357
Twenty-four Montbeliard calves were raised with milk replacer to achie
ve a high or low rate of gain, 1 167 and 658 g/d, respectively. At 146
kg, the animals were weaned and 6 calves from each group were castrat
ed. Thereafter, and until slaughter, animals of the same weight receiv
ed the same diet in both groups. Biopsy samples of Semitendinosus (ST)
muscle were taken in all animals at 140 kg, 305 kg, and at slaughter,
541 kg. The biochemical, contractile and metabolic characteristics of
the ST samples were analyzed. The results showed that castration at t
he age of 4 months had a significant effect only on muscle characteris
tics measured at slaughter, 13 months after castration. The muscles of
the steers contained smaller fibers, fewer type IIA fibers and more t
ype IIB fibers than those of the bulls. In contrast, feed restriction
before weaning resulted in changes to fiber characteristics after wean
ing at 305 kg. Restricted animals had smaller muscle fibers, a lower p
ercentage of type I fibers and a higher percentage of type IIB fibers
than animals fed ad libitum. These changes were no longer observed at
slaughter.