Chromium Propionate and Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation in Finishing Lambs: Growth Performance, Body Composition, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality.
- 1Unidad Académica de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, General Enrique Estrada 98500, Mexico.
- 2Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Mexicali 21100, Mexico.
- 3Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán 80260, Mexico.
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chromium propionate (Cr-Pr) and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on growth performance, performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization, body composition, carcass traits, wholesale cut distribution, and meat quality of finishing lambs. Forty intact male Dorper × Katahdin lambs were blocked by initial body weight (38.21 ± 1.72 kg) and assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 10/treatment): Control (0 Cr-Pr + 0 ZH), ZH (0 Cr-Pr + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d), Cr-Pr (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 0 ZH), and Cr-Pr + ZH (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d). The experimental period lasted 45 d; Cr-Pr was supplemented throughout d 1-45, whereas ZH was administered during d 15-42, followed by a 3 d withdrawal period (d 43-45). Under the conditions evaluated, Cr-Pr, ZH, and their interaction did not affect growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization (p > 0.05); however, both compounds produced specific changes in body composition and carcass traits. Supplementation with Cr-Pr reduced omental, visceral, and perirenal fat by 21.8, 18.6, and 18.7%, respectively (p ≤ 0.044), and increased longissimus muscle area (LMA) by 5.3% (p = 0.013). An interaction between Cr-Pr and ZH was detected for rib fat thickness (FAT) (p = 0.050), with the ZH and Cr-Pr individual treatments showing lower FAT than Control and Cr-Pr + ZH. Supplementation with ZH increased dressing percentage by 7.2% (p = 0.048). Regarding wholesale cuts, classified according to Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS), Cr-Pr increased shoulder (IMPS 206) and loin (IMPS 231) proportions by 10.3 and 10.6%, respectively, and reduced shoulder (IMPS 207) by 3.3% (p = 0.043), whereas ZH increased breast (IMPS 209) weight by 15.0% and its proportion of cold carcass weight (CCW) by 9.7% (p ≤ 0.042). Interactions between Cr-Pr and ZH were also detected for ribs (IMPS 209A) and flank (IMPS 232) weights (p ≤ 0.047). Supplementation did not affect meat quality traits (p ≥ 0.217). Overall, Cr-Pr was associated with reduced internal fat deposition and increased LMA and loin (IMPS 231) proportion, whereas ZH modified dressing percentage and breast (IMPS 209) weight and proportion of CCW. These responses occurred without changes in growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization and without detectable changes in the evaluated meat quality traits. The interactions observed for FAT, ribs (IMPS 209A), and flank (IMPS 232) were trait-specific and did not indicate a consistent benefit of the combination.
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BibTeX
@article{hernandeztovar2026chromium,
title = {{Chromium Propionate and Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation in Finishing Lambs: Growth Performance, Body Composition, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality.}},
author = {Anselmo Hernández-Tovar and Esaúl Hernández-García and Rosalba Lazalde-Cruz and Daniel Rodríguez-Cordero and Pedro Hernández-Briano and Oliver Yaotzin Sánchez-Barbosa and Alejandro Rivera-Villegas and Octavio Carrillo-Muro and Alejandro Plascencia},
journal = {Animals : an open access journal from MDPI},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3390/ani16193068},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883037},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Chromium Propionate and Zilpaterol Hydrochloride Supplementation in Finishing Lambs: Growth Performance, Body Composition, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality.
AU - Anselmo Hernández-Tovar
AU - Esaúl Hernández-García
AU - Rosalba Lazalde-Cruz
AU - Daniel Rodríguez-Cordero
AU - Pedro Hernández-Briano
AU - Oliver Yaotzin Sánchez-Barbosa
AU - Alejandro Rivera-Villegas
AU - Octavio Carrillo-Muro
AU - Alejandro Plascencia
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
JO - Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
DO - 10.3390/ani16193068
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42883037
AB - The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chromium propionate (Cr-Pr) and zilpaterol hydrochloride (ZH) supplementation on growth performance, performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization, body composition, carcass traits, wholesale cut distribution, and meat quality of finishing lambs. Forty intact male Dorper × Katahdin lambs were blocked by initial body weight (38.21 ± 1.72 kg) and assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (n = 10/treatment): Control (0 Cr-Pr + 0 ZH), ZH (0 Cr-Pr + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d), Cr-Pr (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 0 ZH), and Cr-Pr + ZH (1.2 mg elemental Cr/lamb/d + 7.2 mg ZH/lamb/d). The experimental period lasted 45 d; Cr-Pr was supplemented throughout d 1-45, whereas ZH was administered during d 15-42, followed by a 3 d withdrawal period (d 43-45). Under the conditions evaluated, Cr-Pr, ZH, and their interaction did not affect growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization (p > 0.05); however, both compounds produced specific changes in body composition and carcass traits. Supplementation with Cr-Pr reduced omental, visceral, and perirenal fat by 21.8, 18.6, and 18.7%, respectively (p ≤ 0.044), and increased longissimus muscle area (LMA) by 5.3% (p = 0.013). An interaction between Cr-Pr and ZH was detected for rib fat thickness (FAT) (p = 0.050), with the ZH and Cr-Pr individual treatments showing lower FAT than Control and Cr-Pr + ZH. Supplementation with ZH increased dressing percentage by 7.2% (p = 0.048). Regarding wholesale cuts, classified according to Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS), Cr-Pr increased shoulder (IMPS 206) and loin (IMPS 231) proportions by 10.3 and 10.6%, respectively, and reduced shoulder (IMPS 207) by 3.3% (p = 0.043), whereas ZH increased breast (IMPS 209) weight by 15.0% and its proportion of cold carcass weight (CCW) by 9.7% (p ≤ 0.042). Interactions between Cr-Pr and ZH were also detected for ribs (IMPS 209A) and flank (IMPS 232) weights (p ≤ 0.047). Supplementation did not affect meat quality traits (p ≥ 0.217). Overall, Cr-Pr was associated with reduced internal fat deposition and increased LMA and loin (IMPS 231) proportion, whereas ZH modified dressing percentage and breast (IMPS 209) weight and proportion of CCW. These responses occurred without changes in growth performance or performance-derived estimates of dietary energy utilization and without detectable changes in the evaluated meat quality traits. The interactions observed for FAT, ribs (IMPS 209A), and flank (IMPS 232) were trait-specific and did not indicate a consistent benefit of the combination.
SN - 2076-2615
ER -