Browsing by Author "Adamson, Luqmaan"

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    The effect of glycine supplementation on the skeletal muscle properties of captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus)
    (University of the Western Cape, 2022) Adamson, Luqmaan; Kohn, Tertius Abraham
    The fastest known land mammal – the cheetah, possesses many anatomical adaptations that enables high-speed running. Current literature regarding the physiological aspects that facilitate their incredible sprinting ability, however, remains limited. Although ensuring the survival of the species, captive cheetahs experience several complications including reduced fecundity and an increased incidence of degenerative disorders rarely observed in freeranging cheetahs. A key difference in captive and free-ranging cheetahs is that their diets differ substantially with regards to nutrient composition and availability, and previous studies have highlighted the potential link between the diet of cheetahs and their overall poor performance in captivity.
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    Muscle fiber type and metabolic profiles of four muscles from the African black ostrich
    (Meat Science, 2023) Kohn, Tertius A; Magwaza, S'thandiwe N; Adamson, Luqmaan; Anley, Megan J.
    Muscle fiber type, fiber cross-sectional area (CSA), enzyme activities (citrate synthase (CS), 3-hydroxyacetyl Co A dehydrogenase (3HAD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and phosphofructokinase (PFK)) and glycogen content were analyzed in the M. iliotibialis cranialis (ITC), M. iliotibialis lateralis, M. gastrocnemius (G) and M. fibularis longus (FL) muscles from 24 ostriches. Type I and II fiber proportions were similar across the 4 muscles, but the ITC had overall the smallest fibers. CS activity was the highest in the ITC, but similar between the remainder of the muscles. 3HAD activities were very low in all muscles, ranging between 1.9 and 2.7 μmol/min/g protein, indicating poor β-oxidation. The ITC also had the lowest PFK activity. Glycogen content averaged ∼85 mmol/kg dry weight across the muscles with large intramuscular variations. The 4 ostrich muscles present with low fat oxidation capacity and low glycogen content, which could have significant implications on meat quality attributes.