Health-Promoting Properties of the Wild-Harvested Meat of Roe Deer (<i>Capreolus capreolus</i> L.) and Red Deer (<i>Cervus elaphus</i> L.)

The present studies aimed to analyse and assess the health-promoting properties of the <i>musculus semimembranosus</i> (MS) of roe and red deer harvested in the wild. The experimental materials comprising the carcasses of roe deer (15 does and 15 bucks) and red deer (15 hinds and 15 stags) were selected for analysis based on the following criteria: age of animals at harvest—3–4 years; time that passed from the harvest of animals to carcass cutting—48–54 h. After chilling the carcasses for 24 h at +2 °C, the haunches were cut from the carcasses and transported to the laboratory in isothermal ice-packed containers. Samples of the <i>musculus semimembranosus</i> were analysed to determine the chemical composition (proximate components, energy value, Fe, Pb, Cd, fatty acids). More (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) dry matter and total protein and less (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) crude fat was found in the <i>musculus semimembranosus</i> of roe deer in comparison to red deer. No significant influence of the animal’s sex was observed in the content of the evaluated nutrients, apart from crude fat content, which was increased in the haunch of females from both species. The energy content in the muscle of roe deer was 10% higher than the energy value of MS in red deer (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05). The content of iron was significantly (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) higher (6.64 mg/kg) in the meat of red deer compared to the meat of roe deer (31.68 mg/kg). Roe deer haunch contained more lead but less cadmium than red deer haunch. Irrespective of sex, the lipid fraction of red deer muscle contained more saturated fatty acids (SFA). Intramuscular fat (IMF) in roe deer meat contained a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) index values were significantly lower in roe deer haunch, and the hypocholesterolaemic-to-hypercholesterolaemic fatty acids ratio (HH) was lower (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05) in red deer meat. To sum up, the evaluated roe deer and red deer haunch featured high dietary value as it contained a high protein and low fat content and had an advantageous fatty acids composition. As regards the content of cadmium and lead, roe deer and red deer haunch can be considered safe for consumers.