Effect of Pineapple Cannery By-Product on Growth Performance, Blood Parameters, Carcass Characteristics, and Longissimus Muscle Fatty Acid and Free Amino Acid Composition in Growing-Finishing Hanwoo Steers

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effect of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) cannery by-product (PCB) level on growth performance, blood parameters, carcass characteristics, and longissimus muscle fatty acid and free amino acid composition of growing-finishing Hanwoo (Bos Taurus coreanae) steers. Feeding stage was divided into growing, early finishing, and late finishing stage. A total of 60 castrated Hanwoo steers (9.8 ± 0.8 months old, 301.6 ± 32.9 kg initial BW) were used for the experiment. In growing stage, steers were offered the experimental diets which contained 3 level of PCB (0, 6.6, or 13.1% level of PCB, as-fed basis). For the early finishing stage (13.9 ± 0.8 months old, 418.8 ± 36.5 kg initial BW) and the late finishing stage (22.8 ± 0.8 months old, 617.2 ± 49.7 kg initial BW), steers were blocked by initial BW and then randomly allotted into 12 pens (5 head/pen). The pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental diets. Each diet contained 0, 10.6, or 21.2% of PCB. Pineapple cannery by-product level had no effects on body weight gain (BWG), average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), or feed conversion ratio (FCR) of growing and late finishing steers. On the other hand, for early finishing stage, BWG, ADG, and FCR of 0% and 10.6% of PCB feeding group were greater than 21.2% feeding group. There were linear and quadratic effects on BWG and ADG of early finishing stage with increasing dietary PCB level. There was linear decrease of FCR with increasing level of PCB. In growing stage, there was a quadratic effects on BUN concentration with increasing dietary PCB level. As PCB level increased, marbling score and quality grade were linearly decreased. For longissimus muscle free amino acid profile, histidine composition was linearly increased with increasing level of PCB.