Torta de licuri oriunda da produção de biodiesel na alimentação de bovinos em terminação.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate effects of the inclusion of licuri cake in the diet of confined finishing Nellore young bulls, based on the effects of this substitution on the intake, ingestive behavior, digestibility, N balance, microbial protein production, performance, qualitative and quantitative carcass characteristics, meat quality, plasma enzyme concentration, physiological and hepatic parameters of these animals. Were used 32 Nellore young bulls with initial weight of 346 ± 32.5 kg and mean age of 16 months. The animals were distributed in four treatments, consisting of diets with 0; 7; 14; and 21% inclusion of the licuri cake in the total dry matter (DM) of the diet. The concentrate was composed of ground corn, soybean meal, mineral mixture and licuri cake. The roughage used was milled Tifton grass hay with particle size of approximately 5 cm and the voluminous: concentrate ratio was 40:60. The period of confinement was 84 days. The inclusion of the licuri cake reduced linearly (P <0.01) the intakes (g/day) of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, no fiber carbohydrates and total digestible nutrients. However, the ether extract (EE) consumptions showed a quadratic effect (P <0.01), and in the 11.4% inclusion level of the licuri cake, higher EE fraction (0.46 kg/day). With the inclusion of the licuri cake there was a 12.4% reduction in the plasma urea level an d a reduction of 88g/d in the nitrogen (N) consumption of the treatment with 0% of inclusion of the cake, to 21%. The N balance obtained a quadratic effect, where with the 2.55% inclusion of the licuri cake, obtained its maximum value (149 g/day). The licuri cake linearly reduced body weight at slaughter, total weight gain, mean daily gain (82; 71.2 (kg) and 0.79 (kg/d), respectively). With inclusion of the licuri cake the warm carcass weights, warm carcass yield, cold carcass weight, cold carcass yields, true yield and carcass length reduced by 61 kg, 4.2%, 61 kg, 4%, 4.7% and 4 cm2, respectively. With the inclusion of 8.92% of the licuri cake in the diet, the loin eye area increased by 5.7 cm 2 and Marbling degree in the Longissimus lumborum muscle by 4.11%. The inclusion of the licuri cake increased the concentration of myristic acid (C14: 0) by 28.2% in the meat of the animals. The inclusion of 14.6% of the licuri cake, decreases the content of mesristoleic acid by 41.6% (C14: 1). The inclusion of the licuri cake did not affect the sensory parameters of the meat of the animals (P> 0.10), however the testers showed preference for the meat of the animals that did not include the cake in their diet. The inclusion of licuri cake increased the serum concentration of total proteins by 0.69 (mg/dL). There was no significant influence on the histopathological parameters of the liver of the animals fed with licuri cake. The inclusion of the licuri cake to the level of 21% in the diet of finishing Nellore cattle reduces the consumption but did not affect the digestibility of the nutrients. The inclusion of the licuri cake at the maximum level of 21% in dry matter promoted a reduction in carcass yields but did not generate alterations in the physical-chemical characteristics, and there was an increase in the concentration of C14:0 fatty acid in the meat of the animals studied. The inclusion of the licuri cake reduced consumption, did not affect the physical-chemical and sensorial composition of the meat, but decreased the performance of the animals and changed the fatty acid profile of the meat, promoting an increase in the content of saturated4 fatty acids, but did not affect the protein, energetic and histopathological profile of young nellore bulls.