Dietary supplementation with Codonopsis pilosula agro-waste improves yak meat quality by enhancing oxidative stability and balancing energy metabolism efficiency during postmortem

Although yak meat is increasingly recognized as a high-quality protein source, its sudden postmortem pH drop and susceptibility to oxidative deterioration remain a serious challenge for the meat industry. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Codonopsis pilosula (C. pilosula) agro-waste on muscle oxidative stability, energy metabolism efficiency and meat quality characteristics during postmortem of yak meat. Forty yaks were selected and divided into a control group, and treatment groups with 0.5 %, 1.0 % and 2.0 % C. pilosula agro-waste. Our results showed that the addition of C. pilosula agro-waste to the ration decreased muscle fibre diameter and cross-sectional area. In addition, the addition of C. pilosula agro-waste to the ration slowed down the rapid decrease of pH during postmortem. Meanwhile, it enhances the antioxidant capacity of muscle, coordinates the energy metabolic cycle to reduce the shear force value, and thereby improves meat quality. In conclusion, the addition of C. pilosula agro-waste to yak diets is an effective strategy to increase oxidative stability, balance energy metabolism efficiency and improve meat quality of yak.