Abstract:
Ruminants emit methane which is a concern worldwide as it is linked
to global warming. Supplemental methane mitigation strategies can't be imple-
mented unless their risks and benefits on carcass quality are known. Past research
suggests that the addition of tannins to the diet as a methane mitigation agent
could potentially have co-benefits in terms of meat quality and carcass character-
istics. The effects of the dietary tannin additive on the meat quality and carcass
characteristics of the Dohne Merino sheep were determined. It included meat col-
our and long chain fatty acid (LCFA) profile of the carcass (intramuscular and
subcutaneous fat). 40 Dohne Merino ram lambs were randomly assigned to one
of the four treatment diets. The diets consisted of total mixed ration (TR) and
the respective test additive. Treatment one - TMR only (C); Treatment two - TMR
+75 mg/kg of Rumensin (Monensin being the active ingredient) (M); Treatment
three - TMR + crude Acacia mearnsii tannin (20 g/kg feed) (CT) and finally treat-
ment four - TMR + encapsulated Acacia mearnsi tannin (20 g/kg feed) (ECT). The
meat colour was not significantly affected by the tannin additives but the LCFA
profiles differed significantly for intramuscular FA of treatment groups. C18:2n6t
(linoleic acid), C18:3n3 (linolenic acid), C22:6n3 (docosahexaenoic acid) and C21:0
(heneicosanoic acid) all showed significant differences (P<005) between treat-
ments, with both tannin treatments having the highést concentration. If dietary
tannin additives as methane mitigation strategies are successful in lowering the
carbon footprint significantly, it can confidently be concluded that Acacia mearnsit
tannin treatment groups showed significant effects on intramuscular FA compo-
sition, specifically for beneficial UFA
