Compositional characteristics and nutritional quality of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) meat

Abstract

The meat of Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) as obtained in Lithuania contained 21.4% crude protein with high amounts of glutamic acid (152.6 mg/g), aspartic acid (87.6 mg/g), lysine (81.8 mg/g), leucine (75.7 mg/g), arginine (60.4 mg/g), and isoleucine (60.1 mg/g). This meat could be a high quality protein source because of its well-balanced essential amino acid composition. Polyunsaturated fatty acids were predominant with a percentage of 41.58% in thighs and of 42.12% in the fat depot of tails. Hexadecanoic acid (C16:0) was the dominant fatty acid in thigh muscles, followed by octadecadienoic (C18:2n-6), octadecenoic (C18:1), and octadecatrienoic (C18:3n-3) acids with the percentages 23.05, 22.66, 22.28, and 12.40, respectively. In the tail lipids, the dominant fatty acid was C18:1, followed by C18:3n-3 and C18:2n-6, and C16:0 with the percentages 31.72, 21.87, 18.53, and 12.96, respectively. With predominant polyunsaturated fatty acids and an n-6/n-3 PUFA value 2.1, beaver meat could be n-3 PUFA-rich food in human diets.

Chemical composition, amino acid and fatty acid contents, and mineral concentrations of European beaver (Castor fiber L.) meat

“…Contrary, Korzeniowski et al [33] found higher values (22.09 and 1.33 g 100 g −1 ) for meat (as an average of the three elements: thigh, loin and tail) from farmed beavers aged between 7 and 19 years. Similar content of protein and ash to present results was also stated by Razmaitė et al [12] in thigh of wild beavers hunted in Lithuania (21.6 and 1.09%), and Strazdina et al [34] for biceps femoris (21.39 and 1.13%) and longissimus lumborum (21.81 and 1.20%) from Latvian animals. The stated differences in literature could be connected with different time of hunting or different condition of beaver's habitat in mentioned countries of Central Europe.…”

“…The fat content in present study was higher compared to Lithuanian research (0.51%) [12], but considerably lower than Latvian (3.63-4.29%) [34,36], and Polish (3.8-5.1%) [5,15,35] investigations included sexually mature wild beavers. The highest fat content (5.80 g 100 g −1 ) reported Korzeniowski et al [33] for meat from farmed beavers aged between 7 and 19 years and weighing between 15.5 and 20.8 kg.…”

“…The highest fat content (5.80 g 100 g −1 ) reported Korzeniowski et al [33] for meat from farmed beavers aged between 7 and 19 years and weighing between 15.5 and 20.8 kg. Although, no additional information about age or weight of beavers from Lithuania and Latvia were reported, it is well known that the lipids content in different tissues depends on the composition of diet and dietary habits of beavers [37], as well as season [12].…”

“…In addition to the human factor (poaching, car collisions), the size of local population of beaver in Poland may be limited only by the pressure of large predators such as wolf and lynx [3]. Furthermore, by reason of the considerable increase in the number of beavers in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as development of beaver farm breeding, wider consumption and sustainable hunting as a management tool for beaver population is highly demanded [12]. According to regulations of the Polish Ministry of Environment from October 2014 (The Official Journal, Pos.…”

“…Currently, the meat quality concept has become dynamic and includes eating and technological quality, nutritional value and safety. Thus meat diversification can be considered as an opportunity to meet the changes in consumer needs [12].…”