Meat quality of lambs of indigenous dairy Greek breeds as influenced by dietary protein and gastrointestinal nematode challenge

The effect of dietary protein and gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism on growth and meat quality of lambs was assessed using 60 animals. The lambs were randomly allocated to one of three treatment groups (n = 20): group A, which served as control, group B that was regularly treated with albendazole and group C, which was given supplementary feeding with dietary protein. The three groups of lambs grazed into a pasture (Lolium perenne), which was contaminated with L3 larvae of GI nematodes. Lamb growth and condition score were assessed at 21-day intervals. After 126 days grazing all lambs were slaughtered and their carcasses were assessed for conformation and fatness and their ultimate pH was measured. Four carcasses from each group were randomly selected for meat quality measurements including physical analysis as well as colour, moisture, total fat, protein content and fatty acid composition. Parasitic challenge was assessed by means of faecal egg counts of lambs, pasture larvae and numbers of adult nematodes in the GI tract of lambs at slaughter. Growth rate of group B was higher (P < 0.01) than that of group A and resulted in significantly (P < 0.01) heavier carcasses. The produced carcasses had similar fatness, but differed significantly (P < 0.05), in their conformation; carcasses of group C scored higher than either those of group B or group A, respectively. There was a significant difference in the colour attributes (L*) with group A being significantly lighter (P < 0.05) and in pH (P < 0.01); Group B had the highest values. Carcasses of group C had the highest (P < 0.05) amounts of intermuscular fat compared to those of group B and A, respectively. The proportion of C16:1n-7 and C18:2n-6 was higher (P < 0.05) in subcutaneous fat tissue whereas the proportion of C18:0 was higher (P < 0.05) in muscle tissue. In conclusion, the present results showed that the increased protein content in the diet of growing lambs, grazing on a pasture infected with GI nematode larvae, resulted in the production of acceptable carcasses.