Sensory quality and fatty acid content of springbok (Antidorcas marsupialis) meat: influence of farm location and sex.

BACKGROUND: Springbok are harvested for meat production irrespective of farm location or sex from which the meat is derived. The present study investigated the influence of farm location (three farms containing different vegetation types) and sex on the sensory quality of springbok longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. The sensory profile (aroma, flavour and texture) was determined by descriptive sensory analysis, in addition to determination of the physical meat quality, proximate and fatty acid composition. RESULTS: Farm location had a significant influence on the sensory quality (gamey and liver-like aroma; beef, liver-like, lamb-like and herbaceous flavour; sweet taste; tenderness; residue; mealiness; Warner-Bratzler shear force; moisture, protein and intramuscular lipid content) and fatty acid content (oleic acid; α-linolenic acid; total saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids; polyunsaturated to saturated fatty acid ratio; total omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid; and omega-6 to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio) of springbok meat. Sex influenced the chemical composition of springbok meat; however, the influence on the sensory profile was minor (sweet taste; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Farm location could influence the sensory quality and composition of springbok meat and should be considered when harvesting for meat production. Sex does not have to be considered for the marketing of springbok meat. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Impact of season on the chemical composition of male and female blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus phillipsi) muscles.

BACKGROUND: The harvesting and consumption of game meat in South Africa is not limited to season. The study was thus aimed at investigating the seasonal impact on the chemical composition (moisture, protein, fat and ash contents) of male and female blesbok muscles (N = 32; longissimus dorsi, biceps femoris, semimembranosus, semitendinosus, infraspinatus and supraspinatus). RESULTS: A significant interaction (P ≤ 0.01) existed between season and muscle type. Selected muscles had higher (P ≤ 0.01) mean protein contents with a higher plane of nutrition (spring of 2009), while longissimus dorsi muscles had the highest (P ≤ 0.01) mean intramuscular fat content (33.52 g kg⁻¹). A strong negative correlation (r = -0.82; P ≤ 0.01) existed between the muscles' moisture and protein content. The chemical composition of blesbok semimembranosus muscles was significantly different between seasons, while the other muscles were least affected by seasonal differences in blesbok plane of nutrition and activity levels. CONCLUSION: The seasonal and muscle differences were statistically significant, but numerically small. It is therefore debatable whether this is of biological relevance relating to human nutrition.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid, volatile and sensory profiles of beef from steers fed citrus pulp or grape pomace.

The present study compared the effects of feeding dried grape pomace (DGP) or citrus pulp (DCP) at 150 g/kg dry matter compared to a control diet on major polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), volatile and sensory profiles of beef. Feeding DGP or DCP diets to Angus steers for 90 d increased the proportions of C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6, C18:3n-3, total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), n-3 and n-6 PUFA in muscle. Control-fed beef had greater concentrations of C18:1n-9, total aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols compared to DCP and DGP. Feeding DGP and DCP diets produced less tender beef than control. Overall, finishing steers on diets containing DGP or DCP compared to control increased proportions of total CLA, n-3 and n-6 PUFA, and reduced concentrations of aldehydes, ketones, and alcohols, but did not affect beef sensory attributes except for a slight reduction in tenderness.

Meat quality, fatty acid profile, and sensory attributes of spent laying hens fed expeller press canola meal or a conventional diet.

This study evaluated the effects of feeding an expeller press canola meal (EPCM) supplement (20%) on the carcass, meat, and sensory quality characteristics of spent laying hens. Thirty EPCM-based and thirty conventionally (soybean based) fed Lohmann Brown-Elite spent laying hens were obtained from a commercial egg farm. Carcass, portions, physical quality, proximate composition, fatty acids, and sensory quality were determined. EPCM-fed hens had higher (P ≤ 0.05) drum yield, breast bone weights and percentages, but lower (P ≤ 0.05) thigh and breast meat yields. Conventionally fed hens had higher (P ≤ 0.05) thaw losses, skin yellowness (b*), Chroma values and breast fat content with lower (P ≤ 0.05) cooking losses, skin redness (a*) and hue angle values, as well as breast Warner-Bratzler shear force values (N) (15.43 ± 0.600 vs. 12.37 ± 0.411). Palmitic acid, stearic acid, heneicosanoic acid, palmitoleic acid, saturated fatty acids (SFA) (34.0 ± 0.56 vs. 38.7 ± 0.71), n-6:n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) ratio (5.5 ± 0.13 vs. 7.2 ± 0.28), atherogenic index, thrombogenic index, delta-5 desaturase, elongase index, and thiosterase index were lower (P ≤ 0.05) for EPCM-fed hen breast meat. Myristic acid, lignoceric acid, nervonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), PUFA:SFA ratio (0.7 ± 0.05 vs. 0.9 ± 0.02), n-3 PUFA (3.4 ± 0.31 vs. 5.1 ± 0.17), hypocholesterolemic:Hypercholesterolaemic, stearoyl-CoA desaturase 16, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 18 were higher (P ≤ 0.05) for EPCM-fed hen breast meat. Metallic flavor was decreased (P ≤ 0.05) for EPCM-fed hen breast meat. Generally, effects of EPCM supplementation were observed to have an effect on the carcass, physical quality, proximate composition, fatty acids, and health indices. The sensory profiles did not differ between EPCM and conventionally fed spent laying hen breast meat (except for metallic flavor). The EPCM improved the nutritional profile of spent laying hen meat with low intramuscular fat, low n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio, and favorable lipid health indices.