Effect of feeding silages from different plant raw materials on the profile of fatty acids, cholesterol, and vitamins A and E in lamb meat

Abstract

Recently, the quality of lamb meat has been regarded with attention to the content of intramuscular fat, and its fatty acid profile. These indicators are determined by the feed administered to the animals. Apparently, the type of silage used in animal nutrition may be important. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding lambs with silages produced from different plant species on selected meat quality traits. The experiment was conducted on 24 ram lambs, divided into 3 equal groups fed with red clover silage, alfalfa silage, and grass silage, respectively. After 60 days of fattening, the lambs were slaughtered. Samples collected from musculus longissimus lumborum were assayed for: contents of intramuscular fat, cholesterol, the vitamins retinol and α-tocopherol, and the fatty acid profile of intramuscular fat. The meat of lambs fed red clover silage was characterized by a higher content of fat compared to lambs receiving grass silage (P ≤ 0.05). The concentration of vitamin E in the group fed grass silage was the highest and differed significantly (P ≤ 0.01) compared to the group fed alfalfa silage. Intramuscular fat of lambs fed red clover silage contained more polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 and was characterized by a lower ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids n-6:n-3 compared to the lambs fed grass silage. The concentration of conjugated linoleic acid was higher in lambs fed grass silage compared to fat of lambs from the other groups (P ≤ 0.05). Feeding lambs with silages produced from various plant species had a positive effect on traits characterizing the health quality of meat. Until now, only a few studies have been conducted in this species; this is the first such comprehensive study in sheep.