Table 3. Effect of dietary L-arginine supplementation on indices of meat quality.

Variable			Control	1% arginine
pH	45 min		6.50 ± 0.06	6.57 ± 0.06
	24 h		5.57 ± 0.06	5.65 ± 0.06
Drip loss (%)		24 h	1.21 ± 0.05	1.02 ± 0.07
		48 h	2.32 ± 0.06	2.04 ± 0.10*
Meat color	45 min	a*	15.57 ± 0.23	15.74 ± 0.25
		b*	2.70 ± 0.20	2.60 ± 0.19
		L	45.85 ± 0.51	45.74 ± 0.48
	24 h	a*	18.03 ± 0.29	18.40 ± 0.28
		b*	7.36 ± 0.36	2.63 ± 0.47*
		L	52.24 ± 0.44	51.71 ± 1.17
Shear force（Nf）			46.03 ± 1.86	43.04 ± 1.21
Intramuscular fat (%)			3.96 ± 0.41	5.23 ± 0.35**

Data are means ± SEM, n = 24. Within a row, means with * indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05), means with ** indicate a significant difference (P < 0.01).

L, lightness; a*, redness; b*, yellowness.