Intramuscular fatty acid profile of feedlot lambs fed concentrates with alternative ingredients

The effect of concentrates based on unconventional ingredients on the intramuscular fatty acid profile of lambs was evaluated. A total of 105 lambs were assigned to one of three treatments: Control (concentrate based on cereals and soybean meal like commercial concentrates), Camelina (where 50% of crude protein from soybean meal was replaced by camelina meal), and Fibrous (concentrate based on several fibrous by-products, such as soybean hulls and wheat bran, as well as camelina meal and other unconventional ingredients). After 42 days in feedlot, the lambs were sacrificed, and the fatty acid profile of intramuscular fat was determined by gas chromatography. Total meat lipids (1.25 g/100 g of meat) were not modified by the treatments. The Camelina treatment showed minor effects on the intramuscular fat composition. In contrast, the Fibrous treatment showed the highest contents of trans-11 18 : 1 (vaccenic acid), cis-9 trans-11 18 : 2 (rumenic acid) and α-linolenic acid. Thus, the non-traditional Fibrous concentrate assayed in the present study might improve the meat quality of light lambs from a nutritional point of view.

The present research was supported by CDTI (INALSA IDI-20160001) and CRIN Smart Growth Operating Programme FEDER 2014-2020 as well as the the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (AGL2016-75159-C2-2-R). Pilar Gómez-Cortés was subsidized with a Juan de la Cierva research contract also funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness.

Peer reviewed