Corn germ meal as substitute for corn in the diet of confined Santa Inês sheep: chemical and lipid meat composition

Abstract

The per capita consumption of sheep meat in Brazil is still small compared to meat originating from other animal species, the lipid profile of meat named as responsible for reduced consumption. Despite the influence of sex, breed, weight at slaughter and environment, diet is seen as a major factor influencing the lipid composition of sheep meat. This study evaluated the effect of replacing corn by corn germ meal (0, 25, 50, 75 and 100%) in the diet of Santa Inês sheep on the meat's chemical and lipid composition. Forty non-emasculated animals were distributed in a randomized block experimental design, with five treatments and eight replications, and slaughtered after 70 days of confinement. There was no influence of the substitution on the meat's chemical composition. No effects on the total saturated fatty acids (SFA) were observed, but there was a decreasing linear effect on the total monounsaturated fatty acids (MFA) and an increasing linear effect on the total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PFA). The PFA:SFA and ω-6:ω-3 ratios increased with the substitution level. Corn germ meal had no effect on the meat's chemical composition, but improved the nutritional quality of the lipid fraction, enriching it with compounds beneficial for human health.Index terms: CLA, co-products, lipid profile. RESUMOO consumo per capta de carne ovina no Brasil ainda é pequeno quando comparado às carnes oriundas de outras espécies animais, sendo o perfil lipídico da carne apontado como responsável pelo consumo reduzido. Apesar de sofrer influência de sexo, raça, peso ao abate e ambiente, a dieta é tida como principal fator que influencia a composição lipídica da carne ovina. Avaliou-se o efeito da substituição do milho pelo gérmen integral de milho na dieta de ovinos da raça Santa Inês sobre a composição química e lipídica da carne. Quarenta animais não castrados da raça Santa Inês foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e oito repetições, e abatidos após 70 dias de confinamento. Não houve influência sobre a composição química da carne. Não houve efeito sobre o total de ácidos graxos saturados (AGS), mas verificou-se efeito linear decrescente para o total de ácidos graxos monoinsaturados e crescente para o total de ácidos graxos poli-insaturados (AGP). As relações AGP:AGS e ω-6:ω-3 elevaram-se com a substituição. O gérmen integral de milho não influencia a composição química da carne, mas melhora a qualidade nutricional da fração lipídica, enriquecendo-a com compostos benéficos à saúde humana.Termos para indexação: CLA, co-produtos, perfil lipídico.¹Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco/UFRPE -Departamento de Zootecnia -Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros -s/n -Dois Irmãos -Recife -PE -Brasil -52171-900

Effects of Whole Corn Germ, a Source of Linoleic Acid, on Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Feedlot Lambs

“…The concentration of C18:2 n-6 was high in the WCG used in the experimental diets, and a part of this fatty acid, in the materials’ matrix, may have escaped from ruminal biohydrogenation [ 57 ]. This result is in agreement with the report of Urbano et al [ 8 ], who mentioned higher levels of C18:2 n-6 and CLA (C18:2 9c 11t) fatty acids in the lambs’ meat when animals were fed diets with total replacing of ground corn by WCG.…”

“…The WCG has been studied in diets for ruminants due to its crude protein (10 to 15%) [ 5 , 6 ], ether extract (44%) [ 1 ], and linoleic acid (56% of total fatty acids) contents [ 1 ]. The inclusion of WCG in the ruminant diets aims to increase energy density [ 7 ] and polyunsaturated fatty acids, to obtain higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in the meat, which are beneficial to human health [ 8 ].…”

“…Given the importance of incorporating nutraceutical components in red meat, studies have been conducted to decrease the saturated fatty acid (SFA):polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio, maintaining the balance of the omega 6:omega 3 ratio [ 8 ]. Furthermore, it is aimed to increase the concentrations of CLA in the meat of ruminants [ 9 ].…”

Protected or Unprotected Fat Addition for Feedlot Lambs: Feeding Behavior, Carcass Traits, and Meat Quality

“…Nutritional management is one of the main factors that affect the quantity and quality characteristics of the carcass and meat [ 39 ]. In this study, no influence of the inclusion of fat sources in the diets was observed on the physicochemical characteristics of the carcass or centesimal composition of the LL muscle, which is in agreement with several studies in this area [ 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”