Effect of oregano essential oil supplementation to a reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet on meat quality, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stability of Longissimus thoracis muscle in growing-finishing pigs

Meat Sci. 2017 Nov:133:103-109. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2017.06.011. Epub 2017 Jun 23.

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet supplementation with oregano essential oil (OEO) in pigs, from growing period to slaughter, on the meat quality, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stability of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Thirty-six barrows were randomly divided into three experimental treatments, namely, normal protein diet (NPD), reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet (RPD), and identical RPD supplemented (250mg/kg feed) with OEO (OEO) treatments. Dietary RPD and OEO increased the b*45min, tenderness, overall acceptance, and intramuscular fat (IMF) content of pork compared with dietary NPD. The percentage of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) and the percentage of monounsaturated fatty acid in OEO muscle were higher and lower than those in RPD muscle, respectively. Dietary OEO improved oxidative stability, total antioxidative capacity, and catalase but decreased drip loss in LT muscle. Results indicated that dietary OEO enhanced the sensory attributes and anti-oxidative status of pork meat by improving IMF and n-3 PUFA proportion and antioxidative capacity.

Keywords: Fatty acid composition; Meat quality; Oregano essential oil; Oxidative stability; Pigs; Reduced-protein diet.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Amino Acids / administration & dosage*
  • Animal Feed / analysis*
  • Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Animals
  • Diet / veterinary
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Fatty Acids / analysis
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Origanum*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Paraspinal Muscles / metabolism
  • Plant Oils / pharmacology*
  • Red Meat / analysis*
  • Sus scrofa / growth & development
  • Sus scrofa / metabolism*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Fatty Acids
  • Plant Oils