Fatty Acid Profile Differences among the Muscle Tissue of Three Rodents (<i>Hydrochoerushydrochaeris</i>, <i>Cuniculuspaca</i> and <i>Caviaporcellus</i>) and Onelagomorph (<i>Oryctolaguscuniculus</i>)

Abstract

The consumer demand for functional food with nutraceutical properties has increased in recent years, and the food’s fatty acid profile is one of the factors that define its potential value asa functional food. The aim of the present study was to compare fatty acids composition of semitendinosus muscle in two native rodents, the capybara (<i>Hydroahoerus hidrochaeris</i>) and lowland paca (<i>Cuniculus</i><i> </i><i>paca</i>) and two domesticated species, one rodent, the guinea pig (<i>Cavia</i><i> </i><i>porcellus</i>) and one lagomorph, the common rabbit (<i>Oryctolagus</i><i> </i><i>cuniculus</i>). The animals were fed with forage-based diet. The fatty acid composition in lyophilized tissue was determined by gas chromatography. The capybara, lowland paca and guinea pig had the highest levels of omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, predominantly α-linolenic acid (p<0.05). The guinea pig and common rabbit showed a higher content of linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) (p<0.05). The n-6: n-3 fatty acids ratio was higher to the common rabbit (p<0.05) with 8.9, in contrast, capybara and lowland paca had the lowest ratio, with lower than zero values indicating a predominance of n-3 fatty acids. These results were presented without any diet manipulation. The guinea pig meat contained an adequate balance of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids (< 4) whereas in rabbit meat there was an excess of n-6 fatty acids. The capybara and lowland paca can be considered as sources of n-3 fatty acids, represented by α-linolenic acid (18:3 n-3). These results confirm that native species not subjected to genetic selection and intensive feeding, showed higher content of n-3 fatty acids.