Effects of chromium picolinate supplementation on the growth, carcass quality and gene expression of beef during the finishing period

Four groups of 12 young beef, as similar as possible with respect to age and weight, were fed a basic diet. The addition fed to four groups was 0, 200, 600, and 1,200 mg of organic chromium (chromium picolinate CrPic) per kg concentrated feed. The results showed that there was no effect on overall growth performance and dressing percentage and pure meat percentage when adding different CrPic content, but significant difference was found between 0 group and other three groups in percentage of high grade cuts (P < 0.05). The Cr content in Kidney, Musculus diaphragm, Semitendinosus muscles and Longissimusdorsi tissues have no difference in four groups (P > 0.05), but there was significant difference in liver tissues between 0, 200, 600 groups and 1200 group (P < 0.05). Gene expression analysis indicated that there were no differences in five genes expression in liver and muscle tissues in four groups (P > 0.05), but mRNA expression amount of FOX1, FSTL and MATR3 always had same trends whatever in liver or muscle tissues. However the RPLOP gene expression amount has large difference between liver and muscle.