Fatty acids and oxidative stability of meat from lambs fed carob-containing diets

Male Comisana lambs (N=26) were fed (1) concentrates with 60% barley (Control, n=8), (2) concentrates with 33% barley and 24% carob pulp (Carob 24, n=9 ), or (3) concentrates with 23% barley and 35% carob pulp (Carob 35, n=9). The muscle fatty acid composition was analysed and colour stability, lipid and protein oxidation of fresh meat were studied over aerobic refrigerated storage. Carob pulp reduced the saturated fatty acids (SFA; P = 0.001), increased the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; P < 0.001) in muscle, including the rumenic acid (P < 0.001)and reduced the n-6 / n-3 PUFA ratio (P = 0.01). Meat overall did not exhibit extensive color, lipid and protein oxidation, and the diet did affect the oxidative stability parameters. Therefore, dietary carob in lamb diet could be an effective strategy to improve the PUFA content in the meat without compromising animal growth performance and meat oxidative stability