Effects of dietary faba bean (Vicia faba L.) inclusion on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and blood biochemistry in Awassi lambs

Vet World Vol.18 July-2025 Article - 7

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(7): 1863-1869

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.1863-1869

Belal S. Obeidat¹, Nawras L. Al Shabuol¹, and Linda Alyahya²

1. Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan.

2. Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

Background and Aim: The search for sustainable and cost-effective protein alternatives to soybean meal in livestock diets has led to the exploration of legumes such as faba beans [FBs] (Vicia faba L.). This study investigated the effects of dietary inclusion of FBs on carcass traits, meat quality, and selected blood parameters in Awassi lambs.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-four male Awassi lambs (initial body weight: 20.54 ± 0.798 kg) were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 12 per group) and fed isonitrogenous diets either with no FB (control diet [CON]) or 20% FB on a dry matter basis (FB20) for 70 days. The trial consisted of a 7-day acclimation period, followed by 63 days of data collection. Carcass evaluation, meat quality analysis (pH, water-holding capacity [WHC], color, and shear force), and blood biochemistry profiling were performed.

Results: FB20 supplementation significantly increased loin weight and lean content (p < 0.05), while reducing subcutaneous and total fat percentages (p < 0.05). WHC improved (p = 0.024), shear force decreased (p = 0.024), and meat redness (a*) significantly increased (p < 0.0001) in FB20 lambs. No differences were observed in other meat quality parameters such as pH, cooking loss, whiteness (L*), and yellowness (b*) values. The crude protein content in meat was higher in the FB20 group (p = 0.043), indicating an improved nutritional value. Blood biochemical markers, including urea nitrogen, glucose, cholesterol, creatinine, liver enzymes, and lipoproteins, did not differ between groups (p > 0.05), indicating no adverse health effects.

Conclusion: The inclusion of 20% FB in the diet of Awassi lambs improved carcass composition and meat quality without negatively affecting animal health. The observed improvements in meat tenderness, protein content, and color, along with unchanged blood profiles, support the use of FBs as a viable and sustainable protein source in lamb production. Future studies should investigate the long-term effects, consumer acceptance, and optimal inclusion rates across various breeds and production systems.

Keywords: Awassi lambs, blood parameters, carcass traits, faba bean, meat quality, protein alternative.

How to cite this article: Obeidat BS, Al Shabuol NL, and Alyahya L (2025) Effects of dietary faba bean (Vicia faba L.) inclusion on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and blood biochemistry in Awassi lambs, Veterinary World, 18(7): 1863-1869.

Received: 08-03-2025 Accepted: 06-06-2025 Published online: 11-07-2025

Corresponding author: Belal S. Obeidat E-mail: bobeidat@just.edu.jo

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.1863-1869

Copyright: Obeidat, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.