Effect of cooking methods on cholesterol, mineral composition and formation of total heterocyclic aromatic amines in Muscovy drake meat.

BACKGROUND: Cholesterol, minerals and heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) are of great importance in determining meat quality to humans and therefore of concern to meat consumers because of health reasons. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of various cooking methods (grilling, deep frying, pan frying and roasting) on the formation of total HAAs, cholesterol and mineral retention in Muscovy drake breast meat. Total HAAs and cholesterol were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, while minerals were measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. RESULTS: Muscovy drake breast meat cooked by deep frying had the highest content of total HAAs (31.83 ng g(-1)), followed by roasted (30.12 ng g(-1)), pan-fried (29.23 ng g(-1)) and grilled (27.34 ng g(-1)) fillets. The cholesterol content was highest in deep-fried fillets (59.09 mg g(-1)), followed by roasted fillets (58.61 mg g(-1)), while grilling resulted in the lowest cholesterol content (57.00 mg g(-1)). The mineral content was highest in deep-fried samples and lowest in roasted fillets. Magnesium retention was affected by the cooking method and was higher in deep-fried samples (110.57%) than in grilled (97.97%), pan-fried (88.99%) and roasted (78.46%) fillets. Generally, the total HAA, cholesterol and mineral content in cooked Muscovy drake breast meat varied with the cooking method. CONCLUSION: Moderate consumption of deep-fried Muscovy drake meat should be encouraged, as deep frying increased its cholesterol, total HAA and mineral content compared with the other cooking methods investigated.

Evaluation of nutritional quality of dried cashew nut testa using laboratory rat as a model for pigs.

Dried cashew nut testa (DCNT) was characterized with respect to proximate, mineral, and energy profile. The crude protein, crude fibre, and fat and ash contents were, in g kg(-1)DM, 190.0, 103.0, 20.1, and 20.2, respectively, with metabolizable energy of 7.12 MJ kg(-1) DM. In a feeding trial, isoproteic diets containing DCNT (O, 50, 100, and 150 g kg(-1)) were fed ad libitum to 4 groups of Sprague-Dawley male rats (110 g body weight, n = 20) for a period of 4 weeks. The rats, used as model for pigs, had free access to water. As the dietary DCNT content was increased from 0 to 150 g kg(-1), there was a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in feed intake (r = -0.99), water intake (r = -0.87), and a reduction in body weight gain (r = -0.93) and efficiency of feed utilization (r = 0.78). However, no deaths or health-related problems were recorded during the study. Dietary treatments had no impact on liver, heart, lungs, kidneys, and intestinal weights. Cost per gram feed and feed cost per gram live weight gain were reduced when DCNT was used. The experimental diet containing 50 g DCNT kg(-1) supported the best growth performance with the lowest feed cost per gram live weight gain of GH¢0.18. Seasonal increases in the prices of conventional feedstuffs like maize and fishmeal would make the use of agroindustrial by-products such as DCNT in pig diets even more attractive.