INVESTIGADORES
PIGHIN Dario Gabriel
artículos
Título:
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGES IN CORE BODY TEMPERATURE IN LAMBS
Autor/es:
PIGHIN, D.G.; BROWN, WAYNE; FERGUSON, DREWE M.; FISHER, ANDREW D.; WARNER, ROBYN D.
Revista:
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE
Editorial:
CSIRO PUBLISHING
Referencias:
Lugar: Collingwood; Año: 2013 p. 1 - 5
ISSN:
1836-5787
Resumen:
Pre-slaughter stress may decrease muscle glycogen content, a key element for a suitable low
ultimate pH and prevention of dark-cutting meat. Body temperature monitoring is a tool used in
research on animal stress, as an indicator of stress events. Possible relationships between body
temperature of sheep and post-mortem muscle glycogen were investigated in this study. Body
temperature was measured with intravaginal loggers inserted into each animal at 3 days preslaughter,
to record body temperature every 3 minutes over a period of 3 days. Blood samples were
collected from each animal at exanguination for measurement of glucose and lactic acid
concentrations. The muscle content of glycogen and lactic acid were determined in samples of
Longissimus muscle collected at the level of the 13th rib, at 1 h post-slaughter. A plot of body
temperature vs time showed a rise in body temperature from all animals during events such as
mustering, loading onto the truck, unloading at the abattoir, during pre-slaughter handling and at
slaughter. Pearson´s correlation coefficients were determined between 1) the main temperature
increments occurring between farm and slaughter; and 2) post-slaughter muscle glycogen and
lactate levels. A significant negative correlation was detected between elevation in core body
temperature due to physical stress of sheep and muscle glycogen levels at slaughter. A low
correlation was detected between body temperature and blood glucose or lactate concentrations.
Further research should examine the relationship between core body temperature and meat quality
in order to better understand the complex relationship between animal stress and meat quality.