Dietary supplementation with sunflower seeds and vitamin E for fattening lambs improves the fatty acid profile and oxidative stability of the Longissimus lumborum

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementation with sunflower seeds and vitamin E for fattening lambs, on the chemical composition, cholesterol, vitamin E level, fatty acid profile and lipid oxidation of meat from sheep. Four treatments were evaluated, as follows: SC – basal diet consisting of sugarcane + concentrate; SCS – basal diet supplemented with sunflower seed; SCE – basal diet supplemented with 1000 mg vitamin E; SCSE – basal diet supplemented with sunflower seed and 1000 mg vitamin E. The Longissimus lumborum muscle of 32 Ile de France lambs, which were slaughtered when their bodyweight reached 32 kg, was used. The chemical composition of the lamb meat was not significantly different (P > 0.05) between the treatments. Sunflower seed supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the levels of linoleic acid, vaccenic acid and conjugated linoleic acid. Inclusion of vitamin E in the diet increased (P < 0.05) the concentration of vitamin E in the meat while decreasing lipid oxidation. Considering the current demand for healthy foods, inclusion of sunflower seeds and vitamin E in the diet of sheep is a viable possibility.

Effect of a Diet Supplemented with Malic Acid–Heat (MAH) Treated Sunflower on Carcass Characteristics, Meat Composition and Fatty Acids Profile in Growing Lambs

“…The diet is one of the main factors affecting the meat FA profile [34,35], which has important implications for human nutrition [36]. The meat FA profile in our study was similar to that previously reported for lambs fed diets containing SS [32,37], being the C16:0 and C18:0 the most abundant saturated FA.…”

“…Neither the water-holding capacity of the meat nor its chemical composition were affected (p ≥ 0.327) by MAH treatment (Table 3). Chemical composition values were in the range of those reported previously for light lambs of different breeds [31][32][33]. Fatty acid profile of the Longissimus muscle is shown in Table 4.…”

“…Sunflower feeds (SS and SM) contain high amounts of unsaturated FA, especially of C18:1 and C18:2 [32,37] and the inclusion of SS in the diet has been reported to increase the proportion of C18:1, C18:2, polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) and n-6 FA in the meat of lambs [32,37]. In our study, both groups were fed SS, but according to a previous study [5] conducted in sheep fed the same concentrates the MAH-treatment increased the supply of by-pass fat by 34% for SS and therefore a different FA profile of meat might be expected.…”

Dietary glycerin does not affect meat quality of Ile de France lambs

“…The h:H ratio values are lower than those previously reported for Ile de France lambs feeding on diets containing alternative ingredients such as sunflower seeds and vitamin E (Almeida et al, 2014). As there are no recommended values, it is assumed that higher ratios equal healthier animal fat.…”

“…The difference in the cholesterol level was not expected because no differences were found in total fat content, and concentrations of hypo-and hypercholesterolemic fatty acids and these variables are highly associated (Costa et al, 2002). Nevertheless, the cholesterol level of the three muscles is considered low (<90 mg/100 g), even when compared with results (44.27 mg/100 g) from Almeida et al (2014), who evaluated meat from Ile de France lambs slaughtered with similar weight. The meat cholesterol content has become an important issue to consumers.…”