CLINICAL BIOCHEMISTRY AND PATHOLOGY OF MATURE BEEF-CATTLE FOLLOWING ANTEMORTEM INTRAVENOUS ADMINISTRATION OF A COMMERCIAL PAPAIN PREPARATION

Ten healthy beef cattle in a commercial abbatoir were treated intravenously before slaughter with a commercial papain-based tenderising injection (ProTen). Animals were observed for behavioural and clinical abnormalities following treatment. Serum enzyme activities were measured pre-treatment and post-treatment immediately pre-slaughter < 6 min later to detect liver and muscle damage. Carcass were examined grossly post mortem. Histological examination of liver, kidney and muscle followed. Nine contemporary, age-matched controls were similarly examined. It was concluded that ProTen treatment did not cause any detectable hepatocellular or renal damage and there was no significant difference in the parameters examined between treated and untreated cattle. A decision to ban the use of a ProTen in cattle could not therefore be based on the premise that it interfered with the animal''s welfare in the period following injection under the conditions pertaining in this experiment.