Abstract
Traditional food products are often considered beneficial and healthy Foods. Timahdite sheep breed is the main sheep breed raised in the middle-Atlas in Morocco. The breeding of this local rustic breed plays a crucial socio-economic role in this mountain area. Indeed, it generates a significant economic input for the rural population and plays a role of valuing natural resources in forest areas. Little information is available on Timahdite sheep meat produced in a traditional production system. This study aimed to provide more insights on the quality and nutritional value of Tamahdite’s sheep meat, which is in the process of being labeled “Protected Geographical Indication” as a protected product from the Middle Atlas. The longissimus lumborum is used for meat analysis and quality parameter determination. Analyses of amino acid composition show that this meat has a high protein value with a protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score of 325.09 and EAA index of 162.20. The fatty acid profile analysis shows that this meat has polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)/saturated fatty acids and n-6/n-3 PUFA ratios of 0.50 and 9.60, respectively. In addition, the results show that this meat contains 5.70 mg/100g of trace elements, where zinc and iron are the most abundant.
Highlights
Meat is a major source of nutrients for humans, especially oligo-elements, essential amino acids (EAA), and fatty acids (FAs)
Recent studies have shown that certain fatty acids in these meats can have a very favorable effect on human health such as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 and conjugated linoleic acid [7]
The results of trace element content, amino acid composition and fatty acid profile of longissimus lumborum muscle of Timahdite sheep breed are summarized in Tables 1, 2 and 3, respectively
Summary
Meat is a major source of nutrients for humans, especially oligo-elements, essential amino acids (EAA), and fatty acids (FAs). The mountainous areas of the middle Atlas located at an altitude of more than 1000 m cover 26% of the surface of Morocco Despite their spatial and demographic importance, these regions have been relatively neglected in rural development plans, due to hostility from the surrounding environment and development difficulties in comparison with the plain areas. In these regions, extensive rearing, mainly that of small ruminants of local breeds, represents the main, if not the only source of income for rural households, given its biological (rusticity of local breeds) and economic (low cash flow requirements) adaptation to the constraints of the environment
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