Influence of magnesium added to diet of Pulawska breed fatteners on physical and chemical properties of meat

Magnesium is a macronutrient involved in numerous physiological and biochemical processes in an animal organism. This study aimed at evaluating the influence of Mg supplementation of feed for fatteners on physical, chemical and sensory properties of their meat. The experiment was conducted on 30 Pulawska breed fatteners divided into two groups: experimental and control. The former group was daily supplemented with 1 g MgCl2⋅6H2O for 30 days before slaughter. After slaughter (when fatteners had gained 105 kg ± 0.4 kg of body weight), samples of ham muscle (musculus adductor femoris) were taken for determinations of the meat quality. Magnesium supplementation had a positive effect on pH1 and pH24 of meat. Decreased free water percentage, re-emission and green colour share, accompanied by an increase in the red colour proportion in ham meat, occurred owing to magnesium (these differences were important statistically). Another finding was a higher level of hematin in meat from the experimental animal group. As for the general chemical composition of meat from the experimental group, dry matter and glycogen content increased. No effect of magnesium supplementation was observed in the sensory quality assessment of meat. Magnesium added to feed caused slower decomposition of muscular glycogen, thus preventing a substantial decrease in the meat pH after slaughter. The meat of fatteners from the experimental group was characterized by superior technological indices.