Table 5. Carcass characteristics of finishing steers fed a total mixed ration supplemented with ensiled mulberry leaves (EML) or sun-dried mulberry fruit pomace (SMFP).
| Item | Experimental diet1 | SEM | P-value | ||
| CONT | EML | SMFP | |||
| BW (kg) | 500.2 | 495 | 491 | 11.68 | 0.743 |
| HCW (kg) | 272.0 | 269.5 | 271.3 | 10.56 | 0.591 |
| Cold carcass weight (kg) | 271.1 | 268.0 | 270.2 | 9.69 | 0.513 |
| Dressing percentage (%) | 54.19 | 54.14 | 54.89 | 0.58 | 0.973 |
| 12th-rib fat thickness (cm) | 0.31 | 0.28 | 0.29 | 1.28 | 0.713 |
| LMA2 (cm2) | 76.48 | 78.64 | 77.45 | 3.69 | 0.532 |
| pH value | 6.15 | 6.04 | 6.11 | 0.31 | 0.26 |
| External fat color3,4 | |||||
| L* | 34.11 | 40.23 | 38.32 | 2.56 | 0.754 |
| a* | 15.14 | 18.05 | 27.68 | 1.19 | 0.895 |
| b* | 8.73 | 7.45 | 7.29 | 1.05 | 0.149 |
| c* | 19.52 | 20.07 | 20.10 | 0.93 | 0.256 |
| 12th-rib lean color4 | |||||
| L* | 81.98 | 80.14 | 80.88 | 2.265 | 0.783 |
| a* | 3.69 | 3.56 | 3.84 | 0.862 | 0.861 |
| b* | 7.73 | 7.98 | 8,07 | 1.614 | 0.715 |
| c* | 8.34 | 8.70 | 8.42 | 0.123 | 0.532 |
1 CONT = control; EML = ensiled mulberry leaves; SMFP = sun-dried mulberry fruit pomace.
2 LMA = LM area measured at 12th rib.
3 Fat color measurements obtained approximately 20 cm ventrally to the lateral process of the split carcass adjacent the 13th rib.
4 CIE color measurements: L* = lightness, black (0) to white (100); positive a* = red; negative a* = green; positive b* = yellow; negative b* = blue; c* = color saturation = [(a*)2 + (b*)2]1/2 whereby a large number is considered to be more vivid.