The effects of in utero exposure of lambs to a beta-adrenergic agonist on prenatal and postnatal muscle growth, carcass cutability, and meat tenderness.

The objectives of the present experiment were to examine the effects of in utero exposure to a beta-adrenergic agonist (L644,969) on prenatal and postnatal muscle growth and meat tenderness of lambs. Thirty twin-pregnant Composite IV (1/2 Finnsheep, 1/8 Dorset, 1/8 Rambouillet, 1/8 Targhee, 1/8 Suffolk) ewe lambs were used for this experiment. All ewes were fed an alfalfa hay-corn-based diet throughout gestation and lactation. From d 25 to 95 of gestation, the diet of one-half of the ewes contained 2 ppm of L644,969 on an as-fed basis. Treatment did not ( P > .05) affect lamb weights at any point in the growth cycle (birth to 43 kg). Heart weights of neonatal and market lambs were increased ( P < .05) by in utero exposure to L644,969. However, weights of lamb carcass components and weights of individual muscles were not affected by treatment (P > .05). Additionally, treatment did not alter the activities of any of the components of the calpain proteolytic system in neonatal or market lambs. Concomitantly, there was no effect of treatment on myofibril fragmentation index or Warner-Bratzler shear force. Moreover, there was no effect of treatment on muscle fiber type distributions, fiber sizes, or apparent fiber number. It seems that the lack of an effect of treatment on apparent fiber number would explain the lack of an effect on muscle weight. Thus, in utero exposure to L644,969 does not seem to have promise as a method for improving lamb carcass cutability. Other methods of improving the rate and composition of lamb carcass growth while maintaining acceptable meat tenderness must be developed.