Impacto do tempo de transporte rodoviário nos biomarcadores de estresse, no peso corporal e na qualidade da carne de ovinos

Abstract

The objective was to evaluate, through meta-analysis, the impact of road transport duration on stress biomarkers, body weight, and meat characteristics in sheep. A literature search was conducted using electronic databases (Scopus, Science Direct, SciELO, and Web of Science), complemented by an analysis of references from articles that addressed the independent variable "transport time." A total of 40 studies were selected. Data analysis was performed using Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMM), estimating the effects of transport duration (0 to 48 hours) on the response variables: cortisol, glucose, urea, total proteins, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, hematocrit, pH, body weight, and meat texture. The results indicated that cortisol levels remained stable (p = 0.668), while glucose levels decreased (p = 0.027); urea (p = 0.044) and total proteins (p = 0.013) increased; and body weight (p < 0.0001) decreased as transport time increased. The findings suggest that road transport significantly affects physiological biomarkers, reaching concentrations that may compromise animal welfare. Based on the analyzed evidence, it is recommended that sheep transport be limited to a maximum of 12 hours in order to minimize negative impacts on the animals.