Effects of Cyclophosphamide Administration on Wool Quality, Physiological and Biochemical Parameters, Carcass Traits, and Meat Quality in Sheep

TL;DR

This study shows that cyclophosphamide can safely remove wool from sheep without harming meat quality or health, offering a better alternative to traditional shearing.

Contribution

The study provides scientific evidence that cyclophosphamide is effective and safe for chemical shearing in dual-purpose sheep production.

Findings

CPA treatment at 25–30 mg/kg effectively induced wool defleecing and increased wool length in Chinese Merino sheep.

CPA treatment did not significantly affect carcass traits, meat quality, or muscle amino acid composition.

Physiological and biochemical parameters showed short-term fluctuations but remained within normal ranges and recovered over time.

Abstract

Traditional shearing causes mechanical skin damage and induces stress responses, indicating the need for a better alternative shearing method. In this study, we investigated the effects of cyclophosphamide (CPA), a chemical shearing agent, on the wool quality, performance, and meat quality of Chinese Merino sheep. Our study suggested that CPA treatment at doses of 25–30 mg/kg effectively induced wool defleecing and increased wool length in Chinese Merino sheep. At the 25 mg/kg dose, some physiological and biochemical parameters showed short-term fluctuations but remained within the normal range and recovered over time. Carcass traits, meat quality, and muscle amino acid composition showed no significant changes following CPA treatment, and key fatty acids associated with mutton odor remained stable. Our study provides evidence for the application of CPA in dual-purpose sheep production (meat and wool).

Chemical depilation presents a promising alternative to traditional shearing for Chinese Merino sheep, aiming to overcome issues of low efficiency and animal stress. Nonetheless, the safety of meat derived from sheep treated with this technology requires comprehensive scientific evaluation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of CPA on wool quality, physiological and biochemical parameters, carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acids, and amino acids in sheep. Sheep were treated with different concentrations of CPA for 30 days, and slaughtering was performed at 3, 15, and 30 days post-administration. The CPA treatment (25–30 mg/kg) achieved complete defleecing and significantly increased staple and stretch lengths without affecting fiber length. At the 25 mg/kg dose, certain physiological and biochemical parameters, including mean corpuscular volume, mid-cell count, and lymphocyte percentage, recovered over time, with only short-term fluctuations observed. Moreover, treatment with 25 mg/kg CPA did not affect carcass characteristics, muscle amino acid composition, or meat quality parameters. In conclusion, this study verifies that complete wool shedding can be achieved with CPA at 25–30 mg/kg, while meat quality remains unaffected, providing a scientific basis for its adoption in dual-purpose sheep production.

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