Biochemical and physicochemical indicators of the quality of milk and meat obtained from cows with brucellosis

Abstract Background and Aim: Brucellosis is a disease occurring worldwide. Although it is mainly a cattle disease, it is extremely dangerous for humans. Milk and meat can be contaminated with Brucella. The present study aims to examine the biochemical and physicochemical indicators of the quality of milk and meat obtained from cows positively reacting to brucellosis in comparison with healthy animals. Materials and Methods: Two groups of cattle meat samples (four muscles from different parts of the carcass) were obtained during slaughter at a specialized meat processing plant, and milk samples were examined from healthy animals (10 cows) and from cows positively responding to brucellosis (10 cows). For the milk samples, federal standards (GOST 32915-2014 and GOST 25179-2014) and an atomic absorption spectrometer “Kvant-Z ETA” were used. To evaluate the chemical composition of the meat, the “Clover” apparatus and a tissue grinder (SM-3) were used. Results: In the meat of cows that positively responded to brucellosis, compared with that of healthy animals, the amount of dry matter decreased by 1.2 times, amino ammonia nitrogen by 1.01 times, proteins by 1.2 times, fat by 1.28 times, volatile fatty acids by 1.09 times, tryptophan by 1.25 times, oxyproline by 1.14 times, and protein quality indicator by 1.21 times. Conclusion: Despite the severity of brucellosis in cattle, the biochemical and physicochemical indicators of the quality of milk and meat obtained from the healthy and contaminated animals vary, although insignificantly.