title: Meat texture and antioxidant status are improved when carnosic acid is included in the diet of fattening lambs.
abstract: Thirty-two Merino lambs fed barley straw and a concentrate alone (CONTROL group) or enriched with carnosic acid [0.6 g kg(-1) dry matter (DM), CARN006 group; 1.2 g kg(-1) DM, CARN012 group] or vitamin E (0.6 g kg(-1) DM, VITE006 group) were used to assess the effect of these antioxidant compounds on meat quality. After being fed the experimental diets for at least 5 weeks, the animals were slaughtered with the 25 kg intended body weight and the different muscles (longissimus lumborum; LL, gluteus medius; GM) were sliced and kept refrigerated under modified atmosphere packaging during 0, 7 and 14 days. The results indicate that carnosic acid seemed to be useful to delay lipid peroxidation in a medium colour-stable muscle such as GM, but this effect was lower than that observed when vitamin E was supplemented to fattening lambs. On the contrary, meat texture and protection against cholesterol oxidation were equally improved with both compounds.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ganadería de Montaña, CSIC-Universidad de León, Finca Marzanas, E-24346 Grulleros, León, Spain.
authors.forename: Lara
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Morán
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrés
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bodas
authors.forename: Nuria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Prieto
authors.forename: F Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Giráldez
mesh_terms: D045784:Abietanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000378:metabolism; D003116:Color; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods; D005524:Food Technology; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012034:Refrigeration; D012756:Sheep; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D045784:Abietanes; D000975:Antioxidants; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014810:Vitamin E; C018381:salvin