Carcass and Meat Quality of Yankassa Rams Fed Piliostigma Thonningii Essential Oil-Supplemented Diet
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24925/turjaf.v13i11.3276-3284.7945Keywords:
Small ruminants, tropical phytogenic, mutton, organoleptic properties, organ characteristicsAbstract
This study evaluated the effects of Piliostigma thonningii essential oil (PTEO) on carcass characteristics, organ weights, and sensory attributes of rams. Twenty-one ram lambs were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (7 rams per group) in a completely randomized design, with comparable initial body weights (10.55 ± 0.60 kg). The feeding trial spanned 90 days. Prior to statistical analysis, data were tested for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and for homogeneity of variances using Levene’s test. Both assumptions were satisfied, justifying the use of parametric procedures. Carcass weight at slaughter, hot carcass yield, and dressing percentage exhibited a consistent and significant upward trend in rams supplemented with PTEO (Treatments 2 and 3), with both groups recording markedly higher values (P < 0.05) compared to the control group (T1). Conversely, organ weights (head, limbs, heart, kidneys, lungs, trachea) and ribeye area exhibited no significant differences among treatments. Primal cuts including the neck, rack, loin, flank, foreleg, and hindleg were significantly heavier in rams T3. No significant differences were observed in brisket weights. Cooking loss was highest in the control group but significantly reduced in PTEO-supplemented groups, indicating improved meat quality. Water-holding capacity (WHC) was significantly higher in Treatment 3 compared to the other groups. However, shear force and meat pH at 0, 1, and 24 hours postmortem did not differ significantly among treatments. Similarly, sensory evaluations (colour, flavour, tenderness, texture, juiciness, and overall palatability) showed no significant variation across groups. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with PTEO improved carcass yield and meat quality in rams without compromising organoleptic properties. A supplementation level of 10 ml PTEO/kg diet was identified as optimal for enhancing dressing percentage and carcass traits.
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