Influence of dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid, rosemary and oregano extracts on fatty acid profile of fresh pork meat

Abstract

The impact of feeding containing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), in combination with oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) and/or rosemary (Rosmarinus  officinalis  L.) water extracts, on fatty acid profile of fresh pork meat was evaluated. The qualitative fatty acid composition of loin (Longissimus lumborum muscle) meat samples was determined with capillary gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) whereas the quantitation of fatty acids (weight % of total fatty acids) was carried out using GC/Flame Ionization Detector.  The results indicated that the quali-quantitative fatty acid composition of meat was not affected by the dietary administration of oregano and/or rosemary water extracts. Twenty-one fatty acids were identified and the amount of fatty acid classes increased in the order polyunsaturated (PUFA) < monounsaturated (MUFA) < saturated (SFA), in all meat samples. The somministration of diet containing cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 CLA isomers (1 g CLA/Kg fed diet) provided a pork meat having CLA levels accounting for about 1% of total fatty acids. The addition of oregano and/or rosemary water estract into CLA-enriched diet had no effects on CLA deposition in Longissimus lumborum tissues. Statistically significant differences were not stated between the tested groups. Thus, the feeding containing CLA, in combination with oregano and/or rosemary water extracts, applied in the present  study, resulted able to enhance the CLA content in pork meat, providing a potentially healthier meat product. Anyway, it not proved efficient in bringing the PUFA/SFA ratio of meat closer to the recommended value, such as >0.7. The PUFA/SFA ratio revealed in all samples was 0.2.