Vitamins and Minerals in Raw and Cooked Donkey Meat

Abstract

Human health is deeply affected by nutrition. The most important nutritional property of a good diet, able to provide an adequate amount of nutrients, to fulfill growth and development requirements, permitting also health maintenance, is variety of foods. Meat can be included in several diets, particularly when they are based on a restricted choice of plant foods. The inclusion of meat and meat products, even in small amounts, can significantly improve many diets; in fact, meat and derived products are good sources of proteins, vitamins and mineral salts. Thermal processes used for cooking meats represent an important factor which affects the minerals and vitamins meat content. Loss of minerals and water-soluble vitamins in cooked meat may occur, depending on the cooking method used. Previous studies investigated on donkey meat nutritional properties, described interesting characteristics of this alternative red meat, rich in protein and in iron, and with low-fat content. This chapter describes the donkey meat chemical composition, showing a comparison with other traditional red meats. The effects of cooking methods on donkey meat vitamins and minerals content will be also evaluated.

Comparative Study of Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality of Local Mediterranean Donkey Breeds

“…Donkey meat presents appealing quality characteristics, including low fat contents ranging from 1.6% to 3.5% for breeds such as Martina Franca, Amiata, Littoral Dinaric, and Istrian [ 10 , 11 ]. The cholesterol content varies between 55 to 68.7 mg per 100 g of meat from African and Italian donkey breeds; moreover, it is also a valuable source of iron [ 6 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Donkey meat exhibits noteworthy protein content, ranging from 21.8% to 23.6% for breeds like Martina Franca, Amiata crossbred, and Littoral Dinaric, respectively [ 10 , 14 ].…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that donkey is characterized by leaner meat, with essential amino acids, and unsaturated fatty acids, including hexanal, a grass fragrance derived mainly from the oxidative decomposition of unsaturated fatty acids [ 10 , 11 ]. Notably, it contains less total fat and cholesterol, and its energy content is lower compared to pork, beef, and lamb meat [ 11 ]. Furthermore, the muscle fiber in donkey meat is found to be more tender than that of other domesticated animal meats [ 17 ].…”

Changes in the Physical–Chemical Properties and Volatile Flavor Components of Dry-Cured Donkey Leg during Processing

“…Donkey meat is required by an increasing number of consumers in different areas of the world due to its tender texture, peculiar taste and crucial nutritional compounds [ 9 , 10 ]. In fact, donkey meat shows a high content of protein, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, while fat content, cholesterol content and energy supply are low [ 11 , 12 ]. Today, China is the top producer of donkey meat in the world, followed by Niger [ 11 ].…”

“…In fact, donkey meat shows a high content of protein, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids, while fat content, cholesterol content and energy supply are low [ 11 , 12 ]. Today, China is the top producer of donkey meat in the world, followed by Niger [ 11 ]. Dry-cured donkey leg can be a new potential functional food with high nutritional value.…”

Influence of Heat on Protein Degradation, Histology and Eating Quality Indicators of Chicken Meat

“…Grilling adds a peculiar flavour, aroma and smell to the meat, attributed to various complex reactions and many volatile compounds such as carbonyls, aldehydes, and Maillard intermediates (Arena et al, 2014). However, the cooking of meat also leads to a decrease in its nutritional value, mainly resulting from vitamin and mineral losses (Hosseini et al, 2014, Polidori et al, 2021, Karimian-Khosroshahi et al (2015). Since meat is subjected to a high temperature during grilling, it induces several modifications in muscle proteins, such as denaturation, carbonylation, disulfide bond formation, and cross-linking (Silva et al, 2016), which have the potential to affect the digestibility of muscle proteins.…”