Table 2 Effects of melatonin treatment on meat quality indices of Inner Mongolian cashmere goats¹

Longissimus dorsi

6.04 ± 0.12

6.06 ± 0.23

6.03 ± 0.11

Biceps femoris

6.47 ± 0.17

6.34 ± 0.10

5.83 ± 0.49

Gluteus

6.54 ± 0.10

6.40 ± 0.10

6.36 ± 0.10

Meat color³

L*

Longissimus dorsi

37.05 ± 1.06

32.30 ± 0.96

34.42 ± 1.71

Biceps femoris

36.58 ± 2.05

33.35 ± 1.20

35.70 ± 1.69

Gluteus

33.97 ± 1.16

35.47 ± 3.19

33.65 ± 1.71

a*

Longissimus dorsi

14.31 ± 0.84

15.29 ± 1.23

15.59 ± 0.82

Biceps femoris

16.75 ± 0.97

17.28 ± 1.51

18.78 ± 0.73

Gluteus

17.46 ± 1.29

15.94 ± 2.03

18.70 ± 1.23

b*

Longissimus dorsi

4.78 ± 0.44

4.61 ± 0.62

3.99 ± 0.34

Biceps femoris

5.62 ± 0.34

5.02 ± 1.14

3.95 ± 0.70

Gluteus

4.82 ± 0.65

5.08 ± 0.78

5.22 ± 0.55

Longissimus dorsi

5.10 ± 0.05^a

5.32 ± 0.10^a

5.50 ± 0.16^b

Biceps femoris

7.24 ± 0.07

7.42 ± 0.12

7.54 ± 0.13

Gluteus

5.51 ± 0.11

5.54 ± 0.11

5.64 ± 0.07

Longissimus dorsi

23.5 ± 0.39^a

24.38 ± 0.44^a

26.82 ± 0.36^b

Biceps femoris

19.27 ± 0.60^a

20.98 ± 0.28^ab

21.79 ± 0.16^b

Gluteus

24.98 ± 0.50

25.15 ± 0.61

26.29 ± 0.22

Longissimus dorsi

67.21 ± 0.32

67.53 ± 0.37

67.27 ± 0.48

Biceps femoris

63.01 ± 0.51

63.25 ± 0.44

62.39 ± 0.35

Gluteus

65.51 ± 0.38^a

65.39 ± 0.26^a

64.11 ± 0.27^b

Longissimus dorsi

72.90 ± 0.40

72.73 ± 0.33

72.77 ± 0.49

Biceps femoris

71.95 ± 0.38

72.60 ± 0.39

72.70 ± 0.43

Gluteus

72.39 ± 0.37

72.43 ± 0.36

72.60 ± 0.44

Longissimus dorsi

21.42 ± 0.11^a

21.22 ± 0.24^a

19.86 ± 0.36^b

Biceps femoris

21.45 ± 0.18^a

21.24 ± 0.21^a

20.32 ± 0.39^b

Gluteus

21.37 ± 0.19^a

20.88 ± 0.39^ab

20.02 ± 0.31^b

Longissimus dorsi

11.06 ± 0.32

10.30 ± 0.37

9.95 ± 0.36

Biceps femoris

11.28 ± 0.43

11.27 ± 0.25

10.28 ± 0.36

Gluteus

11.45 ± 0.34^a

10.98 ± 0.29^a

9.80 ± 0.25^b