Fatty acid profiles in meat from Caiman yacare (Caiman crocodilus yacare) raised in the wild or in captivity

Abstract

Chemical composition and fatty acid profiles were determined in Caiman yacare meat originating from the neck and tail cuts of animals raised in the wild (n=6) or in captivity (n=6), slaughtered at a live weight of approximately 6 kg. All experimental methods were approved by the appropriate environmental protection agencies. Most chemical components were affected by the origin-cut interaction, with the tail cut of wild animals having the highest amount of intramuscular fat (19.2% of DM) and the lowest of moisture (71.8%) and protein (77.0% of DM). Yacare meat had low amounts of SFA (35.1%), which were similar (P>0.05) in the cuts and origins studied. The total amount of PUFA was higher (P<0.05) in wild (31.0%) than in captive animals (23.6%), and n-3 fatty acids had means of about 5% and 2% for the same groups, respectively (P<0.05). In general, the FA profile of intramuscular fat in yacare meat had a desirable PUFA/SFA ratio above 0.4.

Commercial cuts of Pantanal caiman meat according to sex

“…Our results show that Pantanal caiman thigh, sirloin cuts, and back fillet have low total lipid content and high proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (Table 3), similar to those of previous research (VICENTE NETO et al, 2010). Nevertheless, in the tail, there was a greater amount of monounsaturated fatty acids (45.2%) compared with other cuts.…”

“…In Brazil, captive farming of alligators was authorized in 1990 by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (IBAMA) by the passage of Ordinance 126. Successful examples have shown that sustainable farming of the Pantanal caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) can contributed to a healthy ecosystem (VERDADE, 2004;VICENTE NETO et al, 2010).…”

Arcobacter spp. in fecal samples from Brazilian farmed caimans (Caiman yacare, Daudin 1802)

“…The commercial farms promote economic development in the poorest villages of Pantanal (Brazil), and the regulation and inspection of slaughter also has an impact on human health by avoiding the consumption of wild meat without sanitary inspection. From a nutritional standpoint, caiman meat, as well as the meat of many other wild animals, has two major advantages: high protein level and low intramuscular fat content (Vicente-Neto et al 2010). However, microbiological risks must be considered, mainly because opportunistic bacteria reside in the digestive tract of the animals and are likely to contaminate the meat products during the processing chain.…”

Effect of UV‐C radiation on Salmonella spp. reduction and oxidative stability of caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) meat

“…The demand for exotic meats such as caiman (Caiman crocodilus yacare) meat is increasing due mainly to their nutritional composition (Hoffman & Cawthorn, 2012). Caiman meat is a great source of animal protein with high biological value and high digestibility in addition to a lower lipid content rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids than conventional meats, which is beneficial for human health (Canto et al, 2015;Hoffman & Cawthorn, 2013;Vicente-Neto et al, 2010). Moreover, caiman meat has a desirable taste and appearance, and flavor like between fish, chicken, and veal being well accepted by consumers (Canto et al, 2012;Fernandes et al, 2014;Hoffman & Cawthorn, 2012).…”