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This study investigated the effect of the inclusion of extruded linseed and hazelnut skin on fatty acid (FA) metabolism in finishing lambs. Forty lambs were divided into 4 groups and fed for 60 d with: a conventional cereal-based diet, or the same diet with 8% of extruded linseed, or 15% of hazelnut skin, or 4% of linseed plus 7.5% of hazelnut skin as partial replacement of maize. Dietary treatments did not affect growth performances, carcass traits, and ruminal fermentation. The combined effect of linseed and hazelnut skin enriched the intramuscular fat with health promoting FA. Particularly, increases in α-linolenic acid (3.75-fold), and very long-chain n-3 poly-unsaturated FA (+ 40%) were attributed to the supplementation with linseed, rich in α-linolenic acid. In addition, increases in rumenic (+ 33%), and vaccenic (+ 59%) acids were attributed to hazelnut skin tannins modulating ruminal biohydrogenation and accumulating intermediate metabolites. The simultaneous inclusion of linseed and hazelnut skin can be a profitable strategy for enriching the intramuscular fat of lambs with health promoting FA, without adverse effects on ruminal fermentation and animal performance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This work investigated the effects of feeding ensiled bergamot pulp to pigs on meat and salami quality. Eighteen pigs were assigned to two experimental treatments and fed a cereal-based concentrate diet (control) or the same diet in which ensiled bergamot pulp replaced 15% dry matter of the diet fed (BP). The BP treatment increased α-linolenic acid (+250%; P < 0.05), docosapentaenoic acid (+62%; P < 0.05), docosahexaenoic acid (+43%; P < 0.05) and consequently n-3 PUFA (+15%; P < 0.01) in meat. In salami, the content of α-linolenic acid, total PUFA and n-3 PUFA increased (+320%, +25% and + 258%, respectively) by feeding the BP diet (P < 0.001). The inclusion of bergamot pulp in the diet did not alter the oxidative stability in raw and cooked meat and colour descriptors. In salami, TBARS values were lower after 5 days of storage (P < 0.001) in BP group (1.54 vs 2.96). Finally, dietary supplementation with ensiled bergamot pulp to pigs improved the nutritional value of meat and meat products., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Concentrate supplementation of a grass silage-based ration is a typical practice employed for indoor winter finishing of beef cattle in many temperate countries. Plant by-products, such as dried corn gluten feed (CGF), can be used to replace conventional feedstuffs in a concentrate supplement to enhance the sustainability of ruminant production systems and to improve meat quality. This study examined the chemical composition, fatty acid profile, oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef (longissimus thoracis muscle) from steers offered grass silage and concentrate supplements containing varying levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%) of CGF substituted for barley / soybean meal., Results: Feeding 50%CGF decreased the protein content and increased intramuscular fat in comparison with 25%CGF. Total phenol content and iron-reducing antioxidant power followed the order: 0%CGF > 50%CGF and 25%CGF > 0%CGF = 50%CGF, respectively. Compared to 0%CGF, 25%CGF and 75%CGF decreased C14:0 and increased C22:2n-6, C20:5n-3 and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids whereas 75%CGF increased conjugated linoleic acids and C18:3n-3. Diet did not affect the oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef patties., Conclusion: The inclusion of up to 75%CGF in a supplementary concentrate for steers increased the proportion of health-promoting unsaturated fatty acids without negatively influencing the shelf-life and eating quality of longissimus thoracis muscle. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Cardoon meal is a by-product of oil extraction from the seeds of Cynara cardunculus and can serve as a novel alternative feedstuff for ruminants. This study examined the rumen fermentation, biohydrogenation of fatty acids (FA) and microbial community in lambs fed a concentrate diet containing 15% dehydrated lucerne (CON, n = 8) or cardoon meal (CMD, n = 7) for 75 days pre-slaughter. Diets did not influence rumen fermentation characteristics and the abundance of bacteria, methanogens, fungi, or protozoa. Rumen digesta in CMD-fed lambs displayed a higher concentration of total saturated FA and lower total odd- and branched-chain FA and monounsaturated FA. Feeding CMD decreased total trans-18:1 isomer and the ratio of trans-10 to trans-11 C18:1, known as the "trans-10 shift". Amplicon sequencing indicated that the rumen bacterial community in CMD-fed lambs had lower diversity and a higher relative phyla abundance of Proteobacteria at the expense of Bacteroidetes and Fibrobacteres. At the genus level, CMD mediated specific shifts from Prevotella, Alloprevotella, Solobacterium and Fibrobacter to Ruminobacter, suggesting that these genera may play important roles in biohydrogenation. Overall, these results demonstrate that cardoon meal can be used as a feedstuff for ruminants without negatively affecting rumen fermentation and microbiota but its impact on biohydrogenation may influence the FA composition in meat or milk., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

This study investigated the quality composition, oxidative stability and sensory attributes of beef (longissimus thoracis, LT) from steers offered grass silage and a concentrate supplement in which barley was replaced by 40% and 80% (as-fed basis) of dried citrus pulp (DCP). Dietary treatment did not influence the antioxidant status (α-tocopherol and total phenolic contents) and activities of LT (radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power and iron chelating activity). Feeding DCP significantly increased the proportion of conjugated linoleic acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids in beef. Lipid and colour stability of fresh beef patties stored in modified atmosphere packs (MAP) were unaffected by dietary treatment but feeding 40% DCP reduced (P < .05) lipid oxidation in aerobically-stored cooked beef patties. Beef patties stored in MAP for up to 7 days were assessed by sensory panellists to be juicier for those fed 40% DCP compared to 0% and 80% DCP. Results indicated that substitution of barley with DCP improved the fatty acid profiles of beef without negatively influencing the eating quality of beef., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cardoon meal is a by-product retained after oil extraction from the seeds of cultivated Cynara cardunculus var. altilis that has been proposed as a valuable resource for animal feeding. The study aimed to assess the influence of its dietary inclusion on volatile profile and flavour of meat and kidney fat from lambs. Fifteen Sarda × Comisana male lambs were randomly divided in two groups and fed for 75 days with a concentrate-based diet containing 15% cardoon meal (CMD, n = 7) or dehydrated alfalfa (CON, n = 8). Cardoon meal inclusion reduced the "barnyard/animal" odour perceived by a trained panel in kidney fat, which could be associated with the aromatic compound p-cresol (4-methylphenol), detected only in CON diet. Considering the other aroma volatiles regarded as the main contributors for the characteristic lamb flavour, both diets were characterized by moderate to low levels of 4-methyloctanoic acid, skatole and indole while 4-methylnonanoic acid and 4-ethyloctanoic acid were not detected., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None of the authors of this paper has a financial or personal relationship with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias the content of the paper. This manuscript has not been published earlier in any journal and is not being considered for publication elsewhere. All authors have approved the manuscript and agree with its submission to Meat Science., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the effect of including whole pomegranate by-product in lamb diet on meat oxidative stability. Seventeen lambs were assigned to two experimental treatments and fed a cereal-based concentrate (CON) or the same concentrate where 200 g/kg DM of cereals were replaced by whole pomegranate by-product (WPB). Meat from WPB-fed lambs had a greater concentration of vitamin E (α- and γ-tocopherols), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), highly peroxidizable PUFA and a higher peroxidability index (P < .05). Feeding WPB limited the formation of metmyoglobin (P = .05) and reduced lipid oxidation (TBARS values) after 7 days of storage for raw meat (P = .024) or 4 days for cooked meat (P = .006). Feeding WPB increased meat antioxidant capacity (ORAC assay) in the lipophilic fraction (P = .017), but not in the hydrophilic. These results suggest that vitamin E in the pomegranate by-product contributed to the higher antioxidant capacity of meat from the WPB-fed lambs., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Sixteen Nero Siciliano pigs were used to investigate the effect of dietary tomato processing waste on meat quality. During 86 days one group (CON, n = 8) received a pelleted conventional diet, while another group (TOM, n = 8) received the same diet in which tomato waste replaced 15% of corn. The dietary treatment did not affect growth performances. The TOM diet reduced intramuscular fat, SFA and MUFA content, while increasing the n-6:n-3 ratio in meat (P < .05). The TOM diet increased the concentration of PUFA, PUFA n-3, PUFA n-6 and the n-6:n-3 ratio (P < .01). The instrumental colour descriptors of backfat were unaffected by diet. The TOM diet increased deposition of retinol in meat (P < .001) but did not affect oxidative stability parameters measured in fresh meat and meat homogenates with pro-oxidant catalysts. Concluding, tomato pomace fed to pigs at higher levels compared to previous reports had no adverse effects on the investigated meat quality traits., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study investigated the oxidative stability of meat from lambs fed silages in which timothy grass was totally or partially replaced by sainfoin and/or red clover. Five groups of 8 lambs were fed the following silages: timothy grass (T), mixture (50:50) of timothy with either sainfoin (T-SF) or red clover (T-RC), mixture of timothy, sainfoin and red clover (50:25:25; T-SF-RC), or mixture (50:50) of sainfoin and red clover (SF-RC). Feeding the silages containing red clover (T-RC, T-SF-RC and SF-RC) decreased the deposition of vitamin E in muscle relative to the highly unsaturated fatty acids (P < .001), did not affect the oxidative stability of fresh meat, but reduced oxidative deterioration in cooked meat and in meat homogenates incubated with pro-oxidant catalysts (P < .001). The results of this study demonstrated that feeding lambs with silages containing sainfoin and red clover improve the oxidative stability of meat subjected to strong pro-oxidant conditions and suggest that these effects should be further clarified., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Fatty acids and oxidative stability were determined in meat from lambs fed a diet containing 15% dehydrated alfalfa (CON, n = 8) or cardoon meal (CMD, n = 7). Furthermore, the antioxidant activity of a phenolic-rich cardoon meal extract (1.32 GAE mg/ml) was examined in muscle homogenates (0, 0.5, 1, 5% v/w) subjected to iron/ascorbate-induced oxidation. Feeding CMD did not affect lamb performances and carcass traits but reduced (P < 0.05) the vaccenic and rumenic acids and increased stearic acid in muscle. Lipid oxidation was higher in raw meat from the CMD-fed lambs after 7 days of storage (P < 0.05). Feeding CMD did not affect the colour stability of raw meat and the oxidative stability of cooked meat and of muscle homogenates incubated with pro-oxidant catalysts. Adding 5% cardoon extract in muscle homogenates increased (+114.3%; P = 0.03) the total phenolic content and reduced (-77.6%; P < 0.01) lipid oxidation, demonstrating the antioxidant potential of compounds present in cardoon meal., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work investigated the effects of feeding whole pomegranate byproduct (WPB) to lambs on ruminal, liver, and intramuscular fatty acids (FA). Seventeen lambs, divided into two groups, were fed for 36 days with a cereal-based concentrate diet (CON) or with a concentrate diet containing 200 g/kg DM of WPB to partially replace barley and corn (WPB). The dietary treatment did not affect the final body and carcass weight, the dry matter intake, or the average daily gain. However, total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), linolenic, rumenic (RA), and vaccenic (VA) acid were increased in liver (+15%, +32%, +344%, and +118%, respectively) and muscle (+46%, +38%, +169%, and +89%, respectively) of WPB lambs ( P < 0.05). Punicic acid and three isomers of conjugated linolenic acid were detected exclusively in the rumen and tissues of WPB-lambs. The C18:1 t10/ t11 ra tio in rumen digesta or in tissues was reduced by feeding WPB (-791%, -690%, and -456%, respectively, in rumen, liver and muscle; P < 0.001), suggesting that the WPB prevented the t10-shift rumen biohydrogenation pathway. In conclusion, the inclusion of WPB into a concentrate-based diet can be a strategy to improve the FA composition of meat, without effects on the animal performances.

The effect of dried tomato pomace (DTP) was tested on lamb performances, meat fatty acids and oxidative stability. For 36 days, one group of lambs (n = 7; CON) was fed a commercial concentrate, while the other group (n = 7; DTP) received DTP in addition to CON diet. The administration of DTP reduced (P < .05) concentrate intake, with no effect on animal performances. The DTP treatment tended to increase total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; P = .075), PUFA n-6 (P = .071), α-linolenic acid (P = .096) and increased linoleic acid (P < .05), γ-tocopherol (P < .001) and retinol (P < .001) in meat. In raw meat, DTP treatment increased L* (P = .059), b* (P < .05), C* (P = .052) and H* (P < .05) values compared to CON, while lipid oxidation was not affected. In meat homogenates incubated with pro-oxidants, DTP tended to reduce 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; P = .088). Therefore, DTP supplementation decreased the consumption of commercial concentrate without detrimental effects on animal performances and meat quality traits., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Male Comisana lambs were individually stalled and, for 56 days, were fed concentrates with 60% barley (n = 8 lambs), or concentrates in which barley was partially replaced by 24% or 35% carob pulp (n = 9 lambs in each group). The intramuscular fatty acids were analyzed and the color stability, lipid and protein oxidation were measured in fresh meat overwrapped with polyvinyl chloride film at 0, 3 or 6 days of storage at 4 °C in the dark. Carob pulp increased the concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in muscle, including the rumenic acid (P < 0.01), and reduced the saturated fatty acids (P < 0.01) and the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio (P = 0.01). The meat did not undergo extensive oxidative deterioration and the diet did not affect the oxidative stability parameters. Therefore, carob in lamb diet could increase PUFA in muscle without compromising meat oxidative stability., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This work aimed to identify a combination of isotopic and molecular biomarkers in bovine muscle and adipose tissue for authentication of the diet of beef cattle. Muscle and adipose tissue samples were collected from animals one of four dietary treatments fed over a 1 year period : pasture (P), barley-based concentrate (C), silage followed by pasture (SiP) or silage followed by pasture with concentrate (SiPC). In total, 83 variables were studied including volatile compounds, colour and reflectance measurements, stable isotope ratios, fatty acids, β-carotene, lutein and α-tocopherol. Chemometric models were created for each dietary treatment using the entire and an attenuated variable set. Meat from each dietary treatment was identified with a high level of accuracy (correct classification between 90.8% and 100%) using a discriminant approach. After elimination of insignificant variables, accuracy was maintained or marginally improved. SIMCA class-modelling performed moderately well, especially with the reduced variable set (76.1-100% correct classification)., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different diets on beef meat volatile organic compounds (VOC). Seven heifers grazed pasture for twelve months (group P); 8 heifers received grass silage ad libitum indoors for six months and then were switched to pasture for six months (group SiP); 8 heifers received grass silage ad libitum indoors for six months and then switched to pasture and also offered 0.5 of the diet dry matter of concentrate for six months (group SiPC); 8 heifers received concentrate for twelve months (group C). The muscle longissimus dorsi was sampled at slaughter and subjected to VOC analysis by SPME-GC-MS. Some aldeyhdes, ketones and furans deriving from lipid oxidation were affected by the treatments. Skatole, 3-undecanone, cuminic alcohol and 1-butanol, 2-methyl allowed the discrimination between animals fed concentrate from animals fed non-concentrate diets. Germacrene D, a terpenoid, was a marker of grass feeding., (Copyright © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study was aimed at determining whether isotopic ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) enables us to discriminate between lambs fed herbage or concentrate, both obtained from C(3) plants, and those fed a concentrate obtained from C(4) plants. Thirty-four Comisana male lambs (age 45 days) were assigned to three feeding treatments. Fourteen lambs were fed vetch (Vicia sativa) ad libitum. Another fourteen lambs received a barley-based concentrate. The remaining six lambs were fed a maize-based concentrate. After 60 days of experimental treatment the animals were slaughtered and the wool, perirenal fat and muscle longissimus dorsi were sampled. The delta(13)C and delta(15)N values of the muscle, wool and feed were measured by continuous flow elemental analysis (CF-EA)-IRMS. The delta(13)C of the fat was determined likewise. The isotopic composition of the tissues reflected that of the three diets. For the lambs which were fed herbage the muscle delta(13)C values were higher (P < 0.0005) and delta(15)N values were lower (P < 0.0005) than those of the lambs receiving concentrates. The delta(15)N and delta(13)C values in the muscle and delta(13)C values in the adipose tissue allowed perfect discrimination between the lambs fed the three different diets. The regression between the delta(13)C values measured in muscle and in wool of lambs was linear (R(2) = 0.99; P < 0.0005). This result shows that delta(13)C measured in the wool can predict muscle delta(13)C distribution, suggesting that wool is a valuable matrix for meat authentication.