Obeidat Belal S, Shabuol Nawras L Al, Alyahya Linda
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.
Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Vet World. 2025 Jul;18(7):1863-1869. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1863-1869. Epub 2025 Jul 11.
The search for sustainable and cost-effective protein alternatives to soybean meal in livestock diets has led to the exploration of legumes such as faba beans [FBs] ( L.). This study investigated the effects of dietary inclusion of FBs on carcass traits, meat quality, and selected blood parameters in Awassi lambs.
Twenty-four male Awassi lambs (initial body weight: 20.54 ± 0.798 kg) were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 12 per group) and fed isonitrogenous diets either with no FB (control diet [CON]) or 20% FB on a dry matter basis (FB20) for 70 days. The trial consisted of a 7-day acclimation period, followed by 63 days of data collection. Carcass evaluation, meat quality analysis (pH, water-holding capacity [WHC], color, and shear force), and blood biochemistry profiling were performed.
FB20 supplementation significantly increased loin weight and lean content (p < 0.05), while reducing subcutaneous and total fat percentages (p < 0.05). WHC improved (p = 0.024), shear force decreased (p = 0.024), and meat redness (a*) significantly increased (p < 0.0001) in FB20 lambs. No differences were observed in other meat quality parameters such as pH, cooking loss, whiteness (L*), and yellowness (b*) values. The crude protein content in meat was higher in the FB20 group (p = 0.043), indicating an improved nutritional value. Blood biochemical markers, including urea nitrogen, glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, liver enzymes, and lipoproteins, did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), indicating no adverse health effects.
The inclusion of 20% FB in the diet of Awassi lambs improved carcass composition and meat quality without negatively affecting animal health. The observed improvements in meat tenderness, protein content, and color, along with unchanged blood profiles, support the use of FBs as a viable and sustainable protein source in lamb production. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects, consumer acceptance, and optimal inclusion rates across various breeds and production systems.
在牲畜日粮中寻找可持续且具成本效益的豆粕蛋白替代品，促使人们探索诸如蚕豆（Vicia faba L.）等豆类。本研究调查了日粮中添加蚕豆对阿瓦西羔羊胴体性状、肉质及选定血液参数的影响。
将24只雄性阿瓦西羔羊（初始体重：20.54±0.798千克）随机分为两组（每组n = 12只），分别饲喂无蚕豆的等氮日粮（对照日粮[CON]）或干物质基础上含20%蚕豆的日粮（FB20），为期70天。试验包括7天的适应期，随后是63天的数据收集期。进行了胴体评估、肉质分析（pH值、持水力[WHC]、颜色和剪切力）以及血液生化分析。
添加FB20显著增加了腰肉重量和瘦肉含量（p < 0.05），同时降低了皮下脂肪和总脂肪百分比（p < 0.05）。FB20组羔羊的持水力提高（p = 0.024），剪切力降低（p = 0.024），肉的红色度（a*）显著增加（p < 0.0001）。在其他肉质参数如pH值、烹饪损失、白度（L*）和黄度（b*）值方面未观察到差异。FB20组肉中的粗蛋白含量更高（p = 0.043），表明营养价值有所提高。包括尿素氮、葡萄糖、胆固醇、肌酐、肝酶和脂蛋白在内的血液生化指标在两组间无差异（p > 0.05），表明对健康无不良影响。
在阿瓦西羔羊日粮中添加20%的蚕豆可改善胴体组成和肉质，且不会对动物健康产生负面影响。观察到的肉嫩度、蛋白质含量和颜色的改善以及血液指标未变，支持将蚕豆用作羔羊生产中可行且可持续的蛋白质来源。未来的研究应调查长期影响、消费者接受度以及不同品种和生产系统中的最佳添加率。
