The influence of peri-conception and first trimester dietary restriction of protein in cattle on meat quality traits of entire male progeny

Primiparous Santa Gertrudis heifers were used to evaluate the effects of gestational dietary protein content on meat quality traits of 20 month old bull progeny (n = 40). At −60 d before AI, heifers were randomly allocated to HIGH or LOW protein diet (HPERI and LPERI). From 24 dpc, half of each treatment group changed to an alternative post-conception HIGH or LOW protein diet (HPOST and LPOST). LPERI and LPOST diets resulted in higher shear force of the semitendinosus muscle than HPERI (P = 0.053) and HPOST (P = 0.003), respectively. Heat-soluble collagen in the semitendinosus muscle was lower (P = 0.019) for LPERI than HPERI. Collagen and tenderness of the longissimus muscle were not affected by dam nutrition (P > 0.05). Color, pH, sarcomere length, cooking loss, compression values, desmin and troponin-T degradation, fiber type, intramuscular fat and polyunsaturated fatty acid content were not affected by dam nutrition during the peri-conception and first trimester gestational period (P > 0.05).