Effects of the dietary inclusion of babassu oil or buriti oil on lamb performance, meat quality and fatty acid composition

Abstract

The effects of adding babassu oil (BAO) or buriti oil (BUO) to lamb diets, on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and fatty acid (FA) composition were evaluated. Feeding BAO reduced (P = .02) dry matter intake, kidney fat and dressing percentage, but did not change energy intake and performance. Meat pH, color, protein content and sensorial evaluation were not affected by diet. However, BUO increased (P = .02) intramuscular and subcutaneous fat contents, but decreased shear force. BAO increased (P < .05) trans-monounsaturated FA, total biohydrogenation intermediates (BHI) and the t10:t11 ratio, in meat and subcutaneous fat, but decreased total FA and cis-monounsaturated FA, did not change SFA, and increased (P = .04) PUFA in meat. BUO supplementation promoted the highest (P < .05) SFA and total FA content in subcutaneous fat but did not change PUFA. BAO can be used as an alternative energy source for growing lambs, but does not improve the meat FA composition.

Keywords: Attalea speciosa; Fat; Mauritia flexuosa; Saturated fatty acid; Shear force.