Abstract
Simple SummaryAlternative animal feed sources are being used for the rearing of small ruminants. Among them, the use of agri-food by-products stands out. This strategy meets the demands of consumers towards natural products, offering beneficial effects on meat quality linked to their antioxidant activity properties. In addition, meat ageing allows substantial improvements in palatability attributes, especially tenderness and flavour.The aim of this study was to assess the effects of dietary anthocyanin addition on volatile compounds of meat from goat kids during ageing. For this work, 60 male and female kids were divided into two groups: red orange and lemon extract (RLE group; n = 30), which received an RLE extract (90 mg/kg of live weight); and control (CON group; n = 30). The phytoextract in dry powder form was rich in bioflavonoids such as flavanones (about 16%) and anthocyanins (about 3%). After slaughtering, the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle was aged at 4 °C. The volatile organic compound (VOC) and sensorial analyses were carried out at 1, 3 and 7 days. A total of 10 chemical families were identified during the ageing process. Aldehydes were the most abundant VOC, followed by ketones and alcohols. Their contents increased during the process, showing after 7 days of ageing mean values of 20,498, 2193 and 1879 ng/g of meat, respectively. Regarding dietary effects, carboxylic acids, hydrocarbons and thiols presented significant differences between treatments, with higher carboxylic acid contents observed in RLE samples (437 vs. 467 ng/g of meat for CON and RLE batches, respectively; p < 0.05). On the contrary, hydrocarbons (436 vs. 254 ng/g of meat for CON and RLE batches, respectively) and thiols (160 vs. 103 ng/g of meat for CON and RLE batches, respectively) displayed significantly (p < 0.01) higher amounts in CON compared to the RLE group. Regarding ageing time, the tenderness, juiciness, odour and overall assessment parameters showed significantly higher scores at the end of the whole process (p < 0.05). On the other hand, only odour displayed significant differences between treatments, reaching higher scores in CON samples (p < 0.05). Therefore, ageing time improved the sensorial properties (tenderness, juiciness, odour and overall assessment) and the VOC content, whereas the inclusion of anthocyanins in the kids’ diet did not have a great impact on the properties of aged meat.
Highlights
Small ruminant breeding and their meat production and consumption constitute a traditional activity in some marginal and developing countries, in the Mediterranean areas [1]
The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with red orange and lemon extract (RLE) rich in anthocyanins on the volatile organic compound production and sensory characteristics of meat from goat kids during one week of ageing
Aldehydes were the main volatile organic compound (VOC) originated from cooked donkey, foal, lamb kids and pork meat [14,15,16,30,31]
Summary
Small ruminant breeding and their meat production and consumption constitute a traditional activity in some marginal and developing countries, in the Mediterranean areas [1]. A great challenge that the meat industry is facing is the increased production costs linked to the negative environmental impacts perceived by consumers [3] To overcome these problems, many agroindustrial by-products have been proposed as alternative feed sources. Many agroindustrial by-products have been proposed as alternative feed sources In this regard, olive leaves [4], cardon meal, ramie [5], and hydrolysed lignin [6,7,8] have been studied. Olive leaves [4], cardon meal, ramie [5], and hydrolysed lignin [6,7,8] have been studied All these products are well accepted by consumers, since they are perceived as safe and healthy due to their natural origin, their low environmental impact, the possibility of a circular economy application and the presence of bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity that can improve animal welfare and product quality [9]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
