Effects of Ante-Mortem Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Meat Quality in Yanbian Yellow Bulls

This preliminary study investigated the effects of ante-mortem Vitamin D3 (VD3) supplementation on blood parameters and meat quality in Yanbian yellow bulls. Twenty healthy Yanbian yellow bulls (intact male Yanbian yellow bulls, 30 ± 1 months of age; initial body weight 534 ± 15 kg) were allocated into five groups: a control (basal diet) and four treatment groups with varying VD3 regimens (3 × 106 or 6 × 106 IU/d for 7 days, with or without a 7-day withdrawal). Results demonstrated that, compared to the control group, VD3 supplementation elevated serum calcium (p < 0.01) and phosphorus levels (p < 0.05) while enhancing antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05) and immunoglobulin production (p < 0.01). Muscle calcium deposition increased (p < 0.01), accompanied by higher meat lightness (CIE L*) values (p < 0.01) and reduced drip loss rate (p < 0.01). Shear force decreased across cuts (p < 0.01), which was linked to calpain-mediated protein degradation and sarcomere elongation (p < 0.01). Under the conditions of this study, the protocol involving 3.0 × 106 IU/d VD3 supplementation for 7 days followed by a 7-day withdrawal yielded the most favorable outcomes. These findings suggest a potential strategy to improve beef quality by regulating calcium homeostasis and enhancing muscle proteolysis, warranting further validation in larger populations.

• Publication year

  2026

• Venue

  Animals

• Publication date

  2026-03-05

• Fields of study

  Not labeled

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3390/ani16050818PMCID PMC12984888
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

• Identification, screening and taste mechanisms analysis of two novel umami pentapeptides derived from the myosin heavy chain of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)

  2024cited by this paper
• Evaluation of the flavor profiles of Yanbian-style sauced beef from differently treated raw beef samples

  2024cited by this paper
• Electronic Tongues and Noses: A General Overview

  2024cited by this paper
• Aging mechanism for improving the tenderness and taste characteristics of meat

  2023cited by this paper
• A comparison of average daily gain, apparent digestibilities, energy balance, rumen fermentation parameters, and serum metabolites between yaks (Bos grunniens) and Qaidam cattle (Bos taurus) consuming diets differing in energy level

  2022cited by this paper
• Dietary sodium butyrate and/or vitamin D3 supplementation alters growth performance, meat quality, chemical composition, and oxidative stability in broilers.

  2022cited by this paper
• Dietary Supplementation with Microalgae (Schizochytrium sp.) Improves the Antioxidant Status, Fatty Acids Profiles and Volatile Compounds of Beef

  2021cited by this paper
• Dry-aging of beef as a tool to improve meat quality. Impact of processing conditions on the technical and organoleptic meat properties.

  2021cited by this paper
• Vitamin D and Immune Regulation: Antibacterial, Antiviral, Anti‐Inflammatory

  2020cited by this paper
• Comparison of activity, expression and S-nitrosylation of glycolytic enzymes between pale, soft and exudative and red, firm and non-exudative pork during post-mortem aging.

  2020cited by this paper
• Combined effect of ultrasound and sodium bicarbonate marination on chicken breast tenderness and its molecular mechanism.

  2019cited by this paper
• Variations in meat colour due to factors other than myoglobin chemistry; a synthesis of recent findings (invited review).

  2019cited by this paper
• Vitamin D protects against oxidative stress, inflammation and hepatorenal damage induced by acute paracetamol toxicity in rat.

  2019cited by this paper
• The Role of Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Mechanism to Management

  2019cited by this paper
• Vitamin A administration at birth promotes calf growth and intramuscular fat development in Angus beef cattle

  2018cited by this paper
• Changes in calpain activity, protein degradation and microstructure of beef M. semitendinosus by the application of ultrasound.

  2018cited by this paper
• Vitamin D-biofortified beef: A comparison of cholecalciferol with synthetic versus UVB-mushroom-derived ergosterol as feed source.

  2018cited by this paper
• Dietary protein reduction on microbial protein, amino acids digestibility, and body retention in beef cattle. I. Digestibility sites and ruminal synthesis estimated by purine bases and 15N as markers.

  2018cited by this paper
• The use of synthetic and natural vitamin D sources in pig diets to improve meat quality and vitamin D content.

  2018cited by this paper
• Beef Tenderness Improvement by Dietary Vitamin D3 Supplementation in the Last Stage of Fattening of Cattle

  2017cited by this paper
• Influence of 21days of vacuum-aging on color, bloom development, and WBSF of beef semimembranosus.

  2016cited by this paper
• Relationships between sensory evaluations of beef tenderness, shear force measurements and consumer characteristics.

  2014cited by this paper
• Postmortem titin proteolysis is influenced by sarcomere length in bovine muscle.

  2012cited by this paper
• In vitro degradation of bovine myofibrils is caused by μ-calpain, not caspase-3.

  2011cited by this paper
• The effects of a beta-agonist treatment, vitamin D3 supplementation and electrical stimulation on meat quality of feedlot steers.

  2011cited by this paper
• Tenderness--an enzymatic view.

  2010cited by this paper
• A review of fatty acid profiles and antioxidant content in grass-fed and grain-fed beef

  2010cited by this paper
• Expansion of Antigen-Specific Regulatory T Cells with the Topical Vitamin D Analog Calcipotriol1

  2009cited by this paper
• Use of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 and vitamin E to improve tenderness of beef from the longissimus dorsi of heifers.

  2008cited by this paper
• Regulation of taste-active components of meat by dietary leucine

  2007cited by this paper
• Effects of oral vitamin D(3) supplementation and supplement withdrawal on the accumulation of magnesium, calcium, and vitamin D in the serum, liver, and muscle tissue and subsequent carcass and meat quality of Bos indicus influenced cattle.

  2007cited by this paper
• The efficacy of a vitamin D(3) metabolite for improving the myofibrillar tenderness of meat from Bos indicus cattle.

  2006cited by this paper
• Micro-calpain is essential for postmortem proteolysis of muscle proteins.

  2006cited by this paper
• Vitamin D3 supplementation of cull cows: effects on longissimus and semitendinosus muscle tenderness.

  2004cited by this paper
• Supplemental vitamin D3 concentration and biological type of steers. II. Tenderness, quality, and residues of beef.

  2004cited by this paper
• Supplemental vitamin D3 concentration and biological type of beef steers. I. Feedlot performance and carcass traits.

  2004cited by this paper
• In situ investigation of the calcium-induced proteolytic and salting-in mechanisms causing tenderization in calcium-enhanced muscle.

  2004cited by this paper
• Effects of supplemental vitamin E on performance, health, and humoral immune response of beef cattle.

  2002cited by this paper
• Liganded VDR induces CYP3A4 in small intestinal and colon cancer cells via DR3 and ER6 vitamin D responsive elements.

  2002cited by this paper
• Effects of supplemental vitamin D3 on feed intake, carcass characteristics, tenderness, and muscle properties of beef steers.

  2001cited by this paper
• Effect of calcium chloride marination on bovine Cutaneus trunci muscle.

  2001cited by this paper
• Beef colour evolution as a function of ultimate pH.

  2001cited by this paper
• The use of vitamin D3 to improve beef tenderness.

  2000cited by this paper
• Vitamin D3 supplementation of beef steers increases longissimus tenderness.

  1999cited by this paper
• The role of Ca(2+)-dependent proteases (calpains) in post mortem proteolysis and meat tenderness.

  1992cited by this paper
• Post-mortem changes in cytoskeletal proteins of muscle.

  1980cited by this paper

• No citing papers are available for this paper.