The effect of feed restriction on the fat profile of Santa Inês lamb meat

ABSTRACT. Consumers today are increasingly more demanding regarding their food, seeking healthier and better quality products, and in this context animal nutrition plays a key role. The meat composition can be altered by animal feed itself, being that lipid profile may directly contribute to consumer health, reducing the predisposition of developing cardiovascular diseases, main cause of mortality in the world. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary feed restriction in Santa Inês lambs on their intramuscular, intermuscular, and subcutaneous fat profile, fat profile of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle, and the total meat lipids and cholesterol. Three groups of lambs were subjected to diets: without restriction (WR), and 30 and 60% feed restriction. Overall, stearic, palmitic, and oleic acids were the predominant and the lowest lipid and cholesterol levels were observed at the highest restriction level, presenting higher polyunsaturated:saturated (PUFA:SFA) and desirable (DFA) fatty acid ratios (p < 0.05). Lambs subjected to 60% dietary feed restriction had a better quality meat with lower lipid and cholesterol contents, and profile favorable for human health due the presence of unsaturated fatty acids, that is important parameter the market demands to meet the consumers’ expectations.

摘要
当下消费者对食品的要求日益严苛，愈发追求更健康、品质更优的产品，在此背景下动物营养学发挥着关键作用。动物饲料本身可改变肉品组成，其中脂质谱可直接影响消费者健康，降低罹患心血管疾病的风险——而心血管疾病是全球范围内的首要致死病因。因此，本研究旨在评估日粮限饲对圣塔伊内斯羔羊（Santa Inês lambs）的肌内脂肪、肌间脂肪与皮下脂肪谱，胸腰最长肌（longissimus thoracis et lumborum，LTL）的脂肪谱，以及肉品总脂质与胆固醇含量的影响。本研究将羔羊分为三组，分别饲喂无限制（WR）、30%限饲及60%限饲日粮。总体而言，硬脂酸、棕榈酸与油酸为主要脂肪酸；在最高限饲组中，脂质与胆固醇水平最低，多不饱和脂肪酸与饱和脂肪酸比值（PUFA:SFA）及有益脂肪酸（DFA）比值均显著更高（p < 0.05）。饲喂60%日粮限饲的羔羊，其肉品品质更优，脂质与胆固醇含量更低，且因不饱和脂肪酸的存在，脂肪酸谱更利于人体健康——这一指标是市场契合消费者预期的重要考量参数。