Selective improvement of porcine fat firmness by a diet enriched in medium‐chain fatty acids

Abstract

The effects Of 4% fat either rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA; saturated fat) or in polyenoic fatty acids (PUFA; unsaturated fat) isoenergetically exchanging carbohydrates of a low-fat diet (control) on performance and product quality were evaluated with 180 growing pigs. Growth, carcass and meat quality were not affected by the fat treatments. Although elevated in blood serum, cholesterol was not increased in belly meat when the MCFA-rich diet was fed. Fatty acid composition of backfat reflected dietary fat composition. The significantly lowest shelf life and melting temperatures were found with the unsaturated-fat diet. When compared with control, fat tissue PUFA contents were slightly higher in the saturated-fat diet, and fat melting temperatures were somewhat lower. In contrast, the use of this MCFA-enriched diet increased penetrometer firmness in pure 4°C temperated backfat by more than 50% as compared with control and to about the tenfold level of the firmness obtained in the unsaturated-fat diet. Impression of flavour and odor in lean and fatty meat were not systematically affected by the diets. The present results show a high potentiaLof MCFA-enriched diets to selectively increase fat firmness in pigs without greater undesired side effects on other traits of product quality. Selekive Verbesserung der Kbrperfetthlirte beim Schwein durch eine rnit mittellangkettigen Fettsliuren angereicherte Ration. An 180 Schweinen wurden die Auswirkungen von 4% Fett mit hohen Anteilen an mittellangkettigen Fettsauren (gesattigtes Fett) oder an Polyenfettsauren (ungesattigtes Fett) im isoenergetischen Austausch zu Kohlenhydraten aus einer Niedrigfettration (Kontrolle) auf die Leistung und Produktqualitat untersucht. Es ergab sich kein EinfluD auf Zuwachs, Schlachtkorper-und Fleischbeschaffenheit. Trotz der erhohten Blutserumwerte traten keine hoheren Cholesterolgehalte im Bauchfleisch auf, wenn das gesattigte Fett eingesetzt wurde. Das Fettsaurenmuster des Ruckenspecks spiegelte die Zusammensetzung der Futterfette wider. In der Ration mit dem ungesattigten Fett wurden die signifikant niedrigsten Fetthaltbarkeiten und Schmelztemperaturen gefunden. Im Vergleich zur Kontrolle lagen die Polyengehalte des Korperfetts rnit dem gesattigten Fett etwas hoher. und die Schmelztemperaturen gingen etwas zuruck. Dagegen steigerte die Verwendung dieser, mit mittellangkettigen Fettsauren angereicherten Ration die Fettharte des reinen, auf 4°C temperierten Rukkenspecks im Vergleich zur Kontrolle um mehr als 50% und auf den etwa IOfachen Wert der Harte, die rnit dem ungesattigten Fett erzielt wurde. Der Aroma-und Geruchseindruck von magerem und fettem Fleisch wurde durch die Rationen nicht systematisch beeinflufit. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse belegen ein grol3es Potential von Rationen rnit erhohten Anteilen an mittellangkettigen Fettsauren zur selektiven Steigerung der Fettharte, ohne daD starkere ungunstige Nebenwirkungen auf andere qualitative Produktmerkmale auftreten.

The fatty acid composition of lipids from muscle and adipose tissues of pigs fed various oil mixtures differing in their ratio between oleic acid and linoleic acid

“…A correlation also emerged between the dietary content of myristic acid and the concentrations of myristic acid in adipose tissue. This suggests, in agreement with other studies [16,17], that an appreciable amount of dietary myristic acid is incorporated into adipose tissue. In quantitative studies with rats 29% of the myristic acid ingested with the diet was recovered in the residual body, substantially more than the recovery of lauric acid (10%), but less than that of palmitic acid (35%) [18].…”

“…This finding is not surprising given that all three fats used are highly digestible. Other studies have also shown that the type of dietary fat does not affect performance parameters and carcass composition of finishing pigs, provided that either highly digestible fats are used or that the metabolizable energy of the fats is taken into account [1,13,14,15,16].…”

“…In order to ensure a uniform fat content of all diets, coconut oil was added as a third fat in varying concentrations. Coconut oil contains a very high proportion of short and medium-chain fatty acids with 6 to 12 carbon atoms which are used almost exclusively for energy generation via β-oxidation with negligible incorporation into tissue lipids [16][17][18]. This kept the proportion of long-chain saturated fatty acids, the bulk of which are incorporated into tissue lipids [18] at an almost identical level.…”

Effects of different dietary fat sources on the fatty acid profile of backfat and intramuscular fat of pigs of various sire breeds

“…One reason for the high transfer of added fatty acids could be the reduced de novo synthesis of fatty acids in the body if higher fat amounts are fed (Kijora et al, 1997;Kreuzer et al, 1997). Oleic acid in the depot fat came from oleic acid in feed and from stearic acid through the activity of stearoyl-CoA-desaturase in liver and fat tissue (Klingenberg et al, 1995).…”

Effects of different fibre sources and fat addition on cholesterol and cholesterol‐related lipids in blood serum, bile and body tissues of growing pigs

“…The objective of the present investigation was to follow the effects of different types and amounts of fermentable dietary fibre in growing pigs on cholesterol and cholesterol‐related lipids in blood serum, bile and body tissues. Furthermore, interactions with the type of dietary fat were measured since fats are also known to substantially influence body cholesterol metabolism (B OHAC and R HEE 1988; K REUZER et al. 1997; W ILLIAMS 2000) and therefore might support or prevent effects of fibre.…”