Lipid profile and cholesterol in meat cuts of ewe lambs fed different levels of concentrate

Abstract

Consumers are more interested in having healthier and better quality products. The diet offered to animals can strongly affect the composition of meat. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of concentrate on lipid profile (in natura meat) and cholesterol content (in natura and cooked meat) of ewe lambs' meat cuts. Therefore, twenty-four lambs with a mean weight of 23.1 ± 2.1 kg were confined and fed different levels of a concentrate (20, 40, 60 and 80%) for 120 days. The diets consisted of tifton hay and concentrate based on corn and soybean meal. The muscles triceps brachii (shoulder), longissimus dorsi (loin) and semimembranosus (leg) represented the respective cuts that were analyzed. Increased levels of concentrate decreased only C18:3 (5.82 to 0.20 mg/100 g) in meat and without affecting saturated fatty acids (SFA), unsaturated (UFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), both desirable and total levels. Levels of concentrate had no effect on UFA/ SFA (1.01), MUFA/SFA (0.97), PUFA/SFA (0.04) ratios, or the atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI), nor on the content cholesterol in natura and cooked meat. The meat cuts had different lipid profiles, IA, IT and cholesterol content. Concentrate levels slightly alter the lipid profile and do not alter the cholesterol content, while meat cuts are different for these components.