Examination of the fatty acid composition and lipogenic enzymes of perirenal adipose tissue in growing lambs

Abstract

Lamb consumption fell from 11.1 to 7.5 kg / year / person between 1960 and 1990 and in recent years has fallen even further (5.9kg / year / person in 1994, source MLC). There are a number of possible reasons for this, but the high saturated fat content of lamb is likely to be a major contributer. Health considerations have led to repeated calls to reduce saturated fat intake (Dept of Health, 1994). Lamb has particularly suffered because it has a higher content of the saturated fatty acid stearic acid (C18:0) than other red meats. This has a high melting point and gives cold lamb its unpopular texture. The majority of lipid in lamb comes from de-novo synthesis of the saturated fatty acid palmitate (C16:0) from acetate in the adipose tissue by the enzymes acetyl co-A carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase (FAS). Palmitate can be elongated to stearate (C18:0) and this can be desaturated to the potentially healthier monounsaturated fatty acid oleate (C18:l), by the enzyme stearoyl co-A desaturase (SCD). The aim of this work has been to examine the fatty acid profile of lamb during growth and the enzymes involved in fat deposition.