Effect of Dietary Rapeseed Meal on Fatty Acid Profile of Lamb Carcass

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of feeding rapeseed (27%, DM basis) and sun-flower biodiesel by-products as protein supplements on fatty acid composition (FA), profile (ratios and indices), enzyme activities from the carcass in lambs fed cereal-based diets. Simultaneously, it was exam-ined the relationship between ingested FA and carcass FA. Samples were obtained from male fattened lambs (n=10, Bulgarian synthetic dairy population, 146-d aged, final body weight FBW=36.95±0.91 kg) involved at two iso-caloric, iso-nitrogenous and equal in calcium: phosphorus (Ca:P) ratio dietary treat-ments: control–with sunflower meal (SFD) and experimental–with rapeseed meal (RSD). Lipids, extracted from carcass were analyzed for FA profile. Animals feeding RSD had significantly higher (P < 0.01) per-formance (FBW=38.80 vs. 35.1 kg) and meat yield (5.26 vs. 4.67 kg). RSD increased C18:3 (P < 0.01) and C18:3 / CLA (P < 0.05), but decreased (P < 0.01) C18:2 / C18:3 ratio compared with SFD. Deduced relation-ships between ingested dietary FA and carcass FA shows good parity and high correlation (R > 0.55). In conclusion, animals feeding RSD, as a method to modify carcass FAs, decreased the amount of saturated and polyunsaturated FA, and increased monounsaturated, total unsaturated and desirable FAs of carcass.