Influence of different dietary vitamin C levels on vitamin E and C content and oxidative stability in various tissues and stored m. longissimus dorsi of growing pigs

Both vitamin E and C have antioxidative properties and may act synergistically. To examine a possible interaction between vitamin E, C and oxidative stability in various tissues, 40 barrows (25–105 kg body weight) were allocated to four cereal-based diets (13.4 MJ digestible energy/kg, 168 g crude protein/kg, 140 mg dietary dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) which were supplemented with 0 (B), 150 (C100), 300 (C200) or 600 (C400) mg/kg crystalline ascorbic acid. The influence of storage time on these factors in m. longissimus dorsi samples (LD) was investigated. Samples of liver (LI), heart (HT), spleen (SP), backfat outer layer (BF) and LD were obtained. Dry matter, vitamin E, vitamin C and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were analyzed in all investigated tissues and in addition color (L∗, a∗, b∗ values) and drip loss measurements in LD at day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8 were collected. The treatments did not influence growth performance and slaughter data of the pigs. Neither the vitamin E nor the vitamin C content of investigated tissues showed differences due to feeding treatments. There was also a lack of response to the amount in TBARS. Parameters in LD samples were only affected by storage time and not by diets. The results show that dietary use of both vitamins simultaneously did not further improve qualitative characteristics of the investigated pork tissues.