RESUMO
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the dietary inclusion of Cistus ladanifer L. and vegetable oils on intramuscular fat composition, muscle antioxidant status and lipid oxidative stability, and explore the mechanism by which dietary Cistus ladanifer limits the lipid oxidation. Lambs were assigned 9 diets, corresponding to 3 levels of Cistus ladanifer (50, 100 and 200â¯g/kg DM) and 3 levels of oil (0, 40 and 80â¯g/kg DM). Oil supplementation increased highly peroxidizable fatty acid content and the peroxidizability index (Pâ¯<â¯.05). Muscle phenolic content, reducing ability and radical scavenging ability were not affected by Cistus ladanifer (Pâ¯>â¯.05). The highest level of Cistus ladanifer enhanced muscle resistance to lipid oxidation (Pâ¯=â¯.006) and increased α-tocopherol content (Pâ¯=â¯.005), reducing meat lipid oxidation over 7â¯days of storage (Pâ¯<â¯.001). Results showed that Cistus ladanifer has a protective effect against lipid oxidation through increasing α-tocopherol concentration in the muscle.