PSIX-25 - Sums and relationships of fatty acids of lamb meat fed with marine microalgae meal (Schizochytrium sp.) and vitamin E

Abstract: The meat production chain, while seeking to reduce production costs, has been demanding in terms of quality, with growing consumer concern regarding the benefits and harms that meat can bring to health. In this sense, the composition of ruminant fat has been a concern for the community in general, due to it being mostly composed of saturated fatty acids (SFA), Supplementary sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the diet of ruminants are being researched, especially long-chain ones, such as those present in some species of marine microalgae, however these fatty acids are susceptible to oxidation, and the use of an antioxidant is recommended, like vitamin E. Given the above, the objective of this work was to evaluate the concentrations and relationships of fatty acids in the meat of Ile de France lambs fed with marine microalgae meal (Schizochytrium sp.) and vitamin E. Thirty-two newly weaned, 60-day-old, intact Ile de France breed lambs, 20.0 body weigh were randomly distributed into four treatments: CO: control diet; FA: diet with 4% seaweed meal; VE: diet with 1000mg of vitamin E; FAVE: diet with 4% seaweed meal and 1000mg of vitamin E. The lambs were slaughtered with 35 kg of body weight and their meat was evaluated regarding the fatty acid profile, to then obtain concentration and relationships of fatty acids in lamb meat. The data were evaluated in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and eight replications, with the means of the analysis of variance compared using the Tukey test, with 5% significance. A higher (P< 0.01) AGS and lower AGI concentration was observed in the VE diet (51.47 and 48.53%, respectively), the highest (P< 0.01) AGI and monounsaturated (AGMI) concentrations, were observed in the CO diet, with 53.63 and 45.14%, respectively. The concentration of PUFA in the FA treatment was higher (P< 0.01) in relation to the VE treatment and like the others. The Σn–6 was higher in the CO treatment (7.44%) and lower in the VE (4.22%), whereas the Σn–3 was 9.6 times higher (P< 0.01) in the FA treatment (4. 04%) in relation to CO (0.42%), the AVEF treatment exhibited the second highest values (2.63%), followed by VE (0.49%). The n-6:n-3 ratio was 14 times lower (P< 0.01) in the FA treatment (1.24) compared to CO (17.71), the second lowest value was in the FAVE (1.64) , in the VE treatment, a ratio of 8.61 was observed. Seaweed flour from the genus Schizochytrium potentially increases the concentration of n-3 in lamb meat and greatly reduces the n-6:n-3 ratio, resulting in a healthier food. Vitamin E, combined or not with a source of PUFA, does not bring benefits in terms of the fatty acid profile.