Productive Performance and Meat Characteristics of Kids Fed a Red Orange and Lemon Extract

Abstract

This study evaluates the animal performance and meat characteristics of 60 Saanen suckling kids daily fed a red orange and lemon extract (RLE), rich in anthocyanins. In our methodology, after colostrum administration, animals are randomly assigned to two treatments: Treatment group (Group RLE; n = 30) that received RLE (90 mg/kg live body weight) as oral food additive, and a control group (Group CON; n = 30) that received a standard diet. Animals are slaughtered after 40 days. The RLE administration did not influence daily weight gain, carcass measurements, or incidences (expressed as a percentage) of different anatomical regions on the whole carcass weight. On the contrary, RLE supplementation significantly improved the oxidative profile of the meat seven days after slaughtering, as demonstrated by the reduced levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS; p < 0.01) and hydroperoxides (p < 0.01) in Group RLE compared to Group CON. A significant influence of RLE administration is observed on day 7 for yellowness (p < 0.01). There are also lower saturated and higher monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids concentration in Group RLE meat (p < 0.01), which also shows lower atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes (p < 0.01) compared to Group CON. The study demonstrates that the supplementation of a diet with RLE rich in anthocyanins is effective to improve the meat quality.

Effects of Anthocyanin Supplementation and Ageing Time on the Volatile Organic Compounds and Sensory Attributes of Meat from Goat Kids

“…The trial was carried out on 60 male and female Saanen kids. All kids were managed following the procedure described by Salzano et al [ 3 ]. After colostrum intake, all kids of the same age (4 days ± 12 h) and weight (3.1 ± 0.2 g) were divided into two groups: RLE (anthocyanins; n = 30), who received an RLE extract (90 mg/kg of live weight) (see below the composition) as an oral food additive; and CON (control; n = 30), who received saline.…”

“…Although meat consumption is mainly linked to ethical, social, and religious factors, the attraction towards this food is influenced by the rheological and sensory properties of meat, as well as by marketing strategies [ 2 ]. A great challenge that the meat industry is facing is the increased production costs linked to the negative environmental impacts perceived by consumers [ 3 ]. To overcome these problems, many agroindustrial by-products have been proposed as alternative feed sources.…”

“…The red orange and lemon extract (RLE) derived from red orange and lemon processing wastes is rich in flavanones and anthocyanins (further information is available in previous studies) [ 18 , 19 ]. Some studies have reported important improvements in the oxidative status of the muscles in kids [ 3 ] and lambs [ 20 ] fed with red orange and lemon extract (RLE), with positive effects on their intestinal microflora due to the inhibition of the growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria [ 21 ].…”

Dry-Aged Beef Steaks: Effect of Dietary Supplementation with Pinus taeda Hydrolyzed Lignin on Sensory Profile, Colorimetric and Oxidative Stability

“…One unit of enzyme activity is defined as the amount of enzyme that is required to degrade 1 micromole of H 2 O 2 in 1 min. The GPx activity was measured following the GSH oxidation rate by tert -butyl hydroperoxide, catalyzed by GPx [ 31 ].…”

A Standardized Extract Prepared from Red Orange and Lemon Wastes Blocks High-Fat Diet-Induced Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in Mice

“…Moreover, RLE has been previously tested as an oral additive for goat kids, showing ameliorated juiciness and reduced color deterioration of the kids’ meat as a result of delayed lipid oxidation. This resulted in an improved fatty acid profile and thus healthier meat for human consumption [ 18 ]. It has also been previously demonstrated that goat kids fed on a diet supplemented with RLE showed significantly increased neuropeptide Y-(a neuropeptide involved in food intake regulation) immunoreactive cells in the abomasal epithelium and pancreatic islets, representing a baseline for future studies on the interaction between neuropeptides and polyphenols [ 19 ].…”