G. Maiorano et al., INTRAMUSCULAR COLLAGEN CHARACTERISTICS OF RAM, WETHER, AND ZERANOL-IMPLANTED RAM LAMBS, Journal of animal science, 71(7), 1993, pp. 1817-1822
Eighteen spring-born Columbia ram, wether, and zeranol-implanted ram l
ambs were studied to determine the influence of castration or zeranol
implants on intramuscular collagen (IMC) properties and muscle shear f
orce values. Warner-Bratzler shear force values for longissimus muscle
were greatest for ram lambs, intermediate for implanted rams, and lea
st for wethers (P < .05). Nonreducible collagen crosslink concentratio
n was greater in IMC of rams and implanted rams (P < .05). The IMC fro
m rams compared with that from wethers contained proportionately more
Type III than Type I collagen (P < .05); values for implanted rams wer
e intermediate. Heat-soluble muscle collagen concentration was greater
for rams and implanted rams than for wethers (P < .05); however, inso
luble collagen concentration did not differ by treatment. Muscle colla
gen concentrations were not different for rams, wethers, or implanted
rams. Increased shear force values in rams were associated with elevat
ed collagen crosslink concentration and increased proportion of Type I
II collagen. Greater concentration of soluble collagen in ram IMC neit
her diminished nor diluted IMC crosslinking. The proportion of heat-la
bile collagen in the fractions did not reflect the IMC crosslinking pr
ofile for ram and wether lambs. Zeranol implantation modified IMC char
acteristics of rams such that shear force values and some collagen pro
perties were similar to those of wethers.