The Effect of the Inclusion of Different Concentrates in Feed Rations on the Contents of Tocopherols, β-Carotene and Retinol in the Livers and Longissimus dorsi Muscles of Farm-Raised Fallow Deer (Dama dama L.)

Sylwia Czurgiel; Zofia Antoszkiewicz; Magdalena Mazur-Kuśnirek; Marek Bogdaszewski

doi:10.3390/ani12233311

The Effect of the Inclusion of Different Concentrates in Feed Rations on the Contents of Tocopherols, β-Carotene and Retinol in the Livers and Longissimus dorsi Muscles of Farm-Raised Fallow Deer (Dama dama L.)

Animals (Basel). 2022 Nov 27;12(23):3311. doi: 10.3390/ani12233311.

Authors

Sylwia Czurgiel¹, Zofia Antoszkiewicz¹, Magdalena Mazur-Kuśnirek¹, Marek Bogdaszewski²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-718 Olsztyn, Poland.
² Institute of Parasitology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Research Station in Kosewo Górne, 11-700 Mrągowo, Poland.

Abstract

This study analyzed the chemical composition and contents of β-carotene, tocopherols and retinol in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles and livers of fallow deer (Dama dama L.) fed diets based on hay containing different concentrates (hay and oats—HO; hay, oats and protein concentrate—HOP; hay and pellets—HP). The provitamin and lipophilic vitamin contents in the samples of feed and animal tissues were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The contents of retinol were nearly two-fold higher (p < 0.002) in the livers and many-fold higher in the LD muscles of fallow deer fed the HOP and HP diets. β-carotene was not identified in the livers or LD muscles of fallow deer. The concentrations of α-tocopherol and total tocopherols were higher in the livers and LD muscles of the animals that received the HO and HP diets, but the noted differences were not significant. The inclusion of various concentrates in the feed rations had no influence on the proximate chemical compositions of the livers or LD muscles of fallow deer.

Keywords: fallow deer; liver; longissimus dorsi muscle; retinol; tocopherols; β-carotene.

Grants and funding

Project financially supported by Minister of Education and Science in the range of the program entitled "Regional Initiative of Excellence" for the years 2019-2023, Project No. 010/RID/2018/19, amount of funding 12.000.000 PLN.