Adiçao do extrato de catingueira (Cenostigma pyramidale Tul. E. Gagnon & G. P. Lewis) sobre as características de carcaça de cabritos em aleitamento

Abstract

The growing demand for healthier products and the production of precocious animals with good carcass quality has made the use of plant extracts, rich in secondary metabolites, a viable and efficient alternative to be used as food additives in the diet of goats. milk for meat production due to its mode of action being similar to industrialized additives. Given this context, the objective was to evaluate the effect of including Catingueira (Cenostigma pyramidale Tul. E. Gagnon & G. P. Lewis) extract on the carcass characteristics and weight of meat cuts from suckling kids. The experiment was carried out at the Small Ruminant Research Unit of the Experimental Station, located in the municipality of São João do Cariri/PB, linked to the Agricultural Sciences Center, Campus II, of the Federal University of Paraíba. Thirty mixed breed kids (Saanen × American Alpino) were used for suckling, with an average age of 30 days, and mean initial body weight of 6.51 ± 1.40 kg, distributed in individual, suspended, wooden stalls, containing a drinking trough and feeder. The treatments were formed from the inclusion of doses of Catingueira (Cenostigma pyramidale Tul.) extract, as follows: T1 - Standard diet (control); T2 - standard diet + 15 mg of extract / kg of body weight; T3 - standard diet + 30 mg of extract / kg of body weight. The animals were slaughtered at an average age of 75 days, fasted solid for 16 hours and water fasted for 10 hours, and then weighed to obtain live weight at slaughter. Weight gain, carcass weights and yields, weight loss due to cooling, rib eye area, kidney fat score and the weight and yield of primary carcass cuts were evaluated. The experimental design used was completely randomized, with 3 treatments and 10 replications per treatment. Analysis of variance was performed using the Statistical Analysis System – SAS (2009) statistical program and the means were compared using the Tukey test at 5% probability. The use of Catingueira (Cenostigma pyramidale Tul.) extract did not show a significant effect (P > 0.05) for any of the variables analyzed. Thus, average values were found for daily weight gain of 0.17 kg, slaughter weight of 14.16 kg, hot and cold carcass weight of 7.07 and 6.72 kg, respectively, hot carcass yield of 49 .99% and cold of 47.55% and rib eye area of 4.61 cm2. Catingueira (Cenostigma pyramid Tul.) extract, up to 30 mg/kg body weight, does not affect weight gain, carcass characteristics and the weight and yield of primary carcass cuts of kids during the lactation phase. However, further studies using higher doses of extract are needed.