Lamb meat quality and intramuscular fatty acid composition as affected by concentrates including different legume seeds

The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of concentrates including legume seeds (Vicia faba var. minor or Pisum sativum) on lamb performances and meat quality, emphasizing the intramuscular fatty acid composition. Thirty lambs (14.5±3.45 kg live weight) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments: i) group fed on concentrate including 400 g/kg of peas (PEA); ii) group fed on concentrate including 380 g/kg of faba bean (FB); iii) group fed on concentrate including 180 g/kg of soybean meal (SBM). Growth and slaughter performances were not affected by treatments as well as physical and proximate chemical meat characteristics. FB and SBM meat showed higher (P<0.001) vaccenic acid levels compared to PEA meat. Oleic acid was higher (P<0.05) in PEA meat compared to SBM meat while its level in FB meat was similar to counterparts. Linoleic acid levels tended to increase (P<0.10) in SBM lambs compared with PEA animals. PEA group showed higher (P<0.001) α-linolenic acid proportions compared with FB and SBM groups and a tendentially higher (P<0.10) eicosapentaenoic acid content compared with SBM meat. As a result, total n-3 fatty acids were higher (P<0.05) in PEA meat compared to SBM one while the proportions in FB meat were at intermediate level. These findings accounted for a lower and more favourable (P<0.001) n-6/n-3 ratio in PEA group compared with counterparts. Peas based-concentrate seemed to be more effective than faba bean- or soybean meal-included concentrates to improve the acidic profile of meat leading to higher α-linolenic acid levels and a lower n-6/n-3 ratio.