Sugar cane extract supplementation and meat quality improvement in growing-finishing pigs

Lipid oxidation, a major cause of meat deterioration, can produce fatty acid peroxides, cholesterol hydroperoxide and peroxy radicals that negatively influence oxidative stability of muscle. It is believed that lipid oxidation can be inhibited through synthetic and natural antioxidants. The sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and its derived products have displayed a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, etc. accounting for their content of phenolic compounds, sinapic acid, chlorogenic acid, apigenin derivatives, and tricin derivatives. These bioactive compounds are generally regarded as safe chemicals exhibiting low toxicity. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with sugar cane extract (SCE) on meat quality and oxidative stability of Longissimus dorsi muscle in finishing pigs. Eighteen barrows (Duroc x Landrace x Jiaxing Black), with an average initial body weight of 62.1 ± 5.0 kg, were randomly allotted to 1 of 3 diets with 6 replicates per treatment for 42 days. The diets comprised a normal diet and the normal diets supplemented with 5 and 25 g/kg SCE.

The results showed that SCE supplementation did not affect final body weight of finishing pigs. Dietary SCE supplementation significantly increased Longissimus dorsi muscle pH at 24h, and tended to reduce and significantly decreased shear force, drip loss, myofiber cross sectional area and lactate dehydrogenase activity at 5 and 25 g/kg, respectively. Meanwhile, dietary SCE treatments significantly decreased malonaldehyde content and total superoxide dismutase activity in Longissimus dorsi muscle, and tended to reduce malonaldehyde content in serum. Altogether, these data indicate that SCE can serve as an effective feed additive that beneficially improves meat quality of finishing pigs. Furthermore, this study also provides evidence that dietary SCE supplementation can decrease myofiber CSA and LDH activity, and improve oxidative stability in pork, which may serve as useful information for understanding the underlying mechanisms of improved meat quality.

Xia, Y., Li, Y., Shen, X., Mizu, M., Furuta, T., and Li, C. (2017). Effect of dietary supplementation with sugar cane extract on meat quality and oxidative stability in finishing pigs. Animal Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2017.05.002