title: Fatty acid composition of the ovine longissimus dorsi muscle: effect of feed restriction in three breeds of different origin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Muscle fatty acid profile reflects the body condition of animals and has a noticeable effect on meat quality. Herein, longissimus dorsi muscle of three different sheep breeds, Damara (a fat-tailed breed), Dorper and Australian Merino sheep, was analysed for fatty acid composition. The three breeds were subjected to two distinctive feeding levels (ad libitum and restricted feeding) over 42 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Damara sheep revealed several differences compared to the other two breeds, namely a higher concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can be related to being a fat-tailed breed. Even in restricted feeding conditions, this breed revealed the highest levels compared to Merino and Dorper sheep respectively, of linoleic acid (+31% and +28%), linolenic acid (+97% and +51%), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (+65% and +37%), docosapentanenoic acid (DPA) (+31% Merino) and dodosahexanenoic acid (DHA) (+63% and +77%). EPA, DPA and DHA are three omega-3 fatty acids, with described beneficial characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With this work we show other qualities (higher levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA, DPA and DHA) of Damara meat that might present this breed as an interesting alternative for animal production in semi-arid climates.
authors.affiliation: IICT - Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal.|CIISA - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, ULisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sofia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Harten
authors.affiliation: DAFWA - Department of Agriculture and Food, Government of Western australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kilminster
authors.affiliation: DAFWA - Department of Agriculture and Food, Government of Western australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.affiliation: UWA - University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Milton
authors.affiliation: DAFWA - Department of Agriculture and Food, Government of Western australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oldham
authors.affiliation: DAFWA - Department of Agriculture and Food, Government of Western australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
authors.forename: Johann
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greeff
authors.affiliation: IICT - Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal.|CIISA - Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação em Sanidade Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, ULisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.|ITQB/UNL - Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal and IBET - Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, Oeiras, Portugal.
authors.forename: André M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Almeida
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005508:Food Deprivation; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids
keywords: muscle fatty acids; restricted feeding; sheep breeds