In Argentina, water buffalos represents an important economic alternative in livestock breeding. They are used mostly in the production of meat and milk. This species is closely related to cattle because there is currently a large number of mixed buffalo-bovine production fields in our country. It has been shown that buffaloes, despite their resistance to diseases, are susceptible to a large part of the viruses that affect the bovine herd. The objective of this review is to highlight the importance of the role of the buffalo in the world and in Argentina, the susceptibility of buffalo cattle to different infectious diseases, mainly viral and the role as a reservoir of pathogens of other species. | En Argentina, los búfalos de agua representan una alternativa económica importante en la cría de ganado. Tales animales se emplean mayormente en la producción de carne y leche. La especie se encuentra estrechamente relacionada al ganado bovino, existiendo en la actualidad una amplia cantidad de campos de producción mixta búfalo-bovino en nuestro país. Se ha demostrado que el ganado bubalino, a pesar de su resistencia a las enfermedades, es susceptible a gran parte de los virus que afectan al rodeo bovino. El objetivo de esta revisión es relevar la importancia del rol del búfalo en el mundo en general y en Argentina en particular, así como destacar la susceptibilidad del ganado bubalino a diferentes enfermedades infecciosas, particularmente virales, enfatizando su rol como reservorio de gérmenes patógenos de otras especies.

An experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary electrolytic balance (dEB) and addition of sodium bicarbonate to drinking water on carcass and meat quality of pigs. Sodium bicarbonate was used to adjust dEB to 140, 200 and 280 mEq/kg for T1, T2 and T, respectively. 144 Landrace*Duroc male pigs were allocated at 4 per pen and used until 105 kg liveweight. At the end pigs were kept in the same pens and diets for a week during which sodium bicarbonate rich water was supplied to a half of them. Therefore the experimental design was split in a factorial 2x3 and treated water was administered until slaughter. Forty-eight pigs were selected and sent to the slaughterhouse in order to evaluate the effect of experimental treatments on carcass and meat quality parameters. Enriched water significantly increase urine pH, hot and cold carcass weight and killing-out percentage (P<0.01). However did not affect fat or loin depth, lean meat percentage or chilling losses as well as meat quality parameters. pH of muscles Semimembranosus (SM) or Longissimus thoraccis (LT) measured at 45 min were not affected by dEB. However meat pH measured after 24 h statistically increased in both SM (P<0.01) and LT muscles (P<0.05). Pigs fed with low dEB showed a pH indicating meat with a tendency to become acid (5.5<pH<5.6) whereas meat from pigs of the other 2 groups has good ability to be consumed fresh or transformed. Electrical conductivity of SM muscle also indicated better meat quality of pigs fed medium and high dEB (P<0.05). Drip loss from the meat was also strongly reduced as a consequence of dEB (P<0.02). Meat from pigs fed low dEB lost the double of water than meat from pigs fed medium or high dEB. It can be concluded that dEB supplementation could positively affect meat quality parameters like pH 24h, electrical conductivity or drip losses. All these parameters were improved using finishing diets with a medium (200 mEq/kg) or high dEB (280 mEq/kg). Sodium bicarbonate in drinking water before slaughter did not seem to affect meat quality parameters. Nevertheless, it seems that it could improve carcass weight or killing-out percentage but those results need to be confirmed in other trials.

La capacidad de retención de agua en crudo (CRAr) y en cocinado (CRAc) fue determinada en carne madurada a 7, 14 y 21 días post mórtem. Los músculos Longissimus dorsi (LD) y Semitendi-nosus (ST) de 164 machos castrados provenientes del cruce de machos de las razas Simmental, Normanda, Blanco Orejinegro, Braunvieh, Guzerat, Brahman Blanco, Brahman Rojo, Limousin y Romosinuano con hembras Brahman blanco. Para el parámetro CRAr en LD se presentó significancia de los factores tipo genético y maduración y en ST del factor maduración. Para el parámetro de CRAc en LD fue significativo el factor tipo genético y para ST ninguno de los dos factores fue significativo. No existieron interacciones significativas de los dos factores evaluados. Lo ideal es someter a tiempos cortos de maduración ambos músculos y tener en cuenta el tipo genético al cual pertenece el individuo con el fin de minimizar las pérdidas de exudado. | Water Holding Capacity (WHC) was established in raw meat (WHCr) through the press method and in cooked meat by cooking losses (WHCc). The beef was aged at 7, 14 and 21 days post mortem. The muscles Longissimus dorsi (LD) and Semitendinosus (ST) of 164 castrated males were used. These animals were F1 offsprings of Simmental, Normande, BON (Blanco Orejinegro), Braunvieh, Guzerat, White Brahman, Red Brahman, Limousin and Romosinuano bulls crossed with White Brahman females. In WHCr genetic type and ageing were significant factors in LD and ageing was significant in ST. Ideally, meat of ST and LD should be aged for short time post mortem and the genetic type can affect the water retention in LD.

Abstract: Body condition (CC) is a form direct for to determine the general condition of cows. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of body condition of Holstein cows sent to trail on technological quality of Longissimus dorsi. 180 cows from 24 to 36 months of ages were rated with body condition (CC), 10 min post mortem a sample was taken from muscle Longissimus dorsi (LD) to determine water holding capacity (CRA), shear force (FC) 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days and insoluble collagen (CI) by alkaline degradation in mg and %. The CRA, FC and CI were adjusted to a model considering the body condition of cows as fixed effects, their correlation were analyzed and the comparison of means were performed with polynomial contrasts. The results showed no difference in CRA of Longissimus dorsi in dairy cows with different CC, there was no correlation in the midst CRA with EC, CI and CC. By increasing the days of the meat maturation the EC was lower 1, 5, 10, 15 y 20 (P≤0.05) without effect of the CC. The results of insoluble colagen indicates less collagen when the body condition of cows increase (P≤0.05). In conclusion, the body condition of cows were no a measure correct to determine of water holding capacity and shear force, but it can be effect in the insoluble collagen of Longissimus dorsi. | Resumen: La condición corporal (CC) es una forma directa para determinar el estado general de las vacas. El objetivo de la investigación fue evaluar el efecto de la condición corporal de vacas Holstein enviadas a rastro sobre la calidad tecnológica del Longissimus dorsi. Se calificaron 180 vacas de 24 a 36 meses de edad con el método de CC, 10 min post mortem se tomó una muestra del músculo Longissimus dorsi (LD) para determinar su capacidad de retención de agua (CRA), esfuerzo de corte (EC) los días 1, 5, 10, 15 y 20 y colágeno Insoluble (CI) por degradación alcalina en mg y %. La CRA, EC y CI se ajustaron a un modelo considerando la condición corporal de las vacas como efectos fijos, se analizó su correlación y la comparación de las medias se realizó con contrastes polinomiales. Los resultados no mostraron diferencia en CRA del músculo Longissimus dorsi en vacas con diferentes CC, no hubo correlación de la CRA con EC, CI y CC. Al aumentar los días de maduración de la carne el EC disminuyó 1, 5, 10, 15 y 20 (P≤0.05) sin efecto de la CC. Los resultados de colágeno Insoluble indican menor cantidad cuando aumenta la CC de las vacas (P≤0.05). En conclusión, la condición corporal de las vacas no fue una medida adecuada para determinar la capacidad de retención de agua y esfuerzo de corte, pero puede tener efecto en la cantidad de colágeno insoluble del Longissimus dorsi.