title: Forage legumes rich in condensed tannins may increase n-3 fatty acid levels and sensory quality of lamb meat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tannins intensively interact with rumen microbes, which is expected to have consequences for meat quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Silages prepared from birdsfoot trefoil (BT), sainfoin (SF), alfalfa (AF) or red clover (RC) were fed alone to 48 lambs. The SF contained five times more condensed tannins than BT, the other tanniferous plant. Growth and carcass performance, but not general meat quality, was reduced with BT and SF compared to AF and RC. Lambs fed SF had half the skatole levels in the perirenal fat than AF-fed lambs. The longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle of the SF-fed lambs, compared to RC and BT, had a lower intensity for 'livery' and 'sheepy' flavors but a stronger 'grassy' flavor. The intramuscular fat of BT- and SF-fed lambs contained less saturated and more polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially 20:4n-6, 20:3n-6, 20:5n-3 and 22:5n-3, with SF being more efficient than BT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SF was most promising to increase beneficial fatty acids and to reduce skatole content in lamb meat.
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1725, Posieux, Switzerland.|ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1725, Posieux, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frigga
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dohme-Meier
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1725, Posieux, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silacci
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1725, Posieux, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ampuero Kragten
authors.affiliation: ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreuzer
authors.affiliation: Agroscope, Institute for Livestock Sciences (ILS), 1725, Posieux, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D007887:Fabaceae; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000737:chemistry*; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D044945:Proanthocyanidins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012756:Sheep; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D044945:Proanthocyanidins
keywords: bioactive compounds; birdsfoot trefoil; fatty acid; lamb meat; pastoral flavor; sainfoin