ABSTRACT
This research assessed the effect of incorporating condensed tannin-rich pine bark (PB) and sericea lespedeza (SL) into meat goats’ diets on carcass traits, chemical composition, and meat quality of goat meat (chevon). Meat goats were supplemented with bermudagrass hay (BG-diet, control), SL, PB, or 1:1 mixture of SL and PB (SL + PB-diet), with the remainder of each diet made uCIE ap of 70% alfalfa pellets mixed with a commercial corn-based sweet feed. Furthermore, four experimental diets provided a total of 4.9, 40.1, 49.0, or 45.0 g of condensed tannins, CT/kg DM, respectively. Carcass traits were assessed after the slaughter at the end of 50 d feeding period. After 24 h cooler storage (2˚C), edible tissues were collected from each carcass for analyzing meat quality parameters. No significant differences were found in carcass traits and primal cuts among goats fed the experimental diets. Supplementing goats with wood-derived condensed tannins (pine bark) produced redder (higher CIE a* values; P < 0.003), tenderer (lower Warner-Bratzler shear force values; P < 0.002), and healthier (higher linoleic and α-linolenic acids; P < 0.03) chevon than that from goats fed either forage-derived (sericea lespedeza) or combined condensed tannins (1:1 mixture of sericea lespedeza and pine bark). Our findings indicate that either forage-, wood-derived condensed tannins, or their combined one can be used as a dietary supplement since they do not have any detrimental effect on meat goats’ performances and meat quality characteristics of chevon. Furthermore, feeding meat goats with wood-derived condensed tannins probably produced tenderer and healthier chevon than that from meat goats fed either forage-derived only or combined with forage and wood derived-condensed tannins.