The Effect of Barley and Lysine Supplementation on the longissimus lumborum Meat Quality of Pasture-Raised Fallow Deer (Dama dama).

Daniel Bureš,Louwrens C Hoffman,Eva Kudrnáčová,Radim Kotrba,Luděk Bartoň

doi:10.3390/foods9091255

Abstract

The chemical characteristics (proximate composition, amino acids, and fatty acids) and sensory quality of the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle of 45 farmed male fallow deer were investigated. The animals were divided into three separate groups (n = 15 per treatment): pasture-fed (P), pasture-fed and supplemented with barley (B), and pasture-fed and supplemented with barley and lysine (BL). Differences were observed in LL moisture and the intramuscular fat contents, the latter being almost two-fold greater in the meat of B and BL groups compared to P. The concentrations of histidine, leucine, alanine, glutamic acid and glycine in the raw meat were higher in the BL group compared to the P group. Higher contents of n–3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and consequently lower n–3 ratios, were found in the P group, compared to the BL group. The grilled meat samples from the P group scored higher than the other groups for grassy flavour, and lower for liver flavour.

Highlights

Deer species have been utilized by humans world-wide for hunting, and for the production of meat and other animal products, for centuries
The results indicated that venison from concentrate-fed fallow deer (FD) scored higher in liver flavour, whereas a greater intensity of grassy flavour was detected in the meat from grass-only fed animals
The results of the present study demonstrate the possibility of modifying various meat quality characteristics of the longissimus muscle from FD through nutrition

Summary

Introduction

Deer species have been utilized by humans world-wide for hunting, and for the production of meat and other animal products, for centuries. Venison, has a long history in both western and eastern cultures, but it is currently rather high in terms of consumer demand [1]. In the Czech Republic, the evaluated data on meat consumption report a game meat per capita consumption of 1.0 kg/person/year, out of a total meat consumption of 80.3 kg/person/year This figure may seem low in comparison with the total meat consumed, the consumption of game meat has more than tripled over the last fifteen years in the Czech Republic. Venison may represent a favourable food commodity for consumers, because it is lean and tasty, with a high proportion of polar lipids and proteins, and perceived positive effects on human health [3]

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