Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• Hossein Karimi ¹
• Arash Azarfar ²
• Heshmatollah Khosravinia ²
• Ali Kiani ³

¹ M.Sc. Student, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorrambad, Iran

² Associate Professors, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorrambad, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University, Khorrambad, Iran

Abstract

Our objective was to examine the effect of inclusion of dried de-oiled savory (Satureja khuzistanica; DDS) on production performance and fatty acids composition of longissimus muscle (LM) of finishing lambs. 30 Farhani lambs with average body weight of 33.6±1.4 kg were used. The lambs were randomly divided into five groups and individually fed with the experimental diets. In the experimental diets, alfalfa was replaced by dried de-oiled savory at the levels of zero (control diet), 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent. The lambs were fed whit finishing diets for 60 days following a 15-day adaptation period. During the finishing periods the lambs were weighed individually every 15 days and average daily gain, average feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were calculated. At the end of experiment, the lambs were slaughtered. Samples of LM along with subcutaneous fat were taken from the region of 12th and 13th ribs post-mortem and their fatty acids profile were determined by gas chromatography. The results of current study showed that the experimental diets had no effect on production parameters of lambs assessed. Saturated fatty acids content of LM was higher in the lambs fed with diets in which alfalfa was replaced by DDS at the level of 25 percent than those fed with diets in which alfalfa fully replaced by DDS (P<0.05). The lambs fed on diets in which alfalfa was replaced by DDS at the levels higher than 25 percent had numerically higher saturated fatty acids in their LM compared to control diet-fed lambs. The results showed that dietary inclusion of DDS at the level of 75 percent instead of alfalfa numerically increased poly-unsaturated fatty acids content of LM. Dietary replacement of alfalfa with DDS at the levels of 25 to 75 percent numerically lowered the proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids of LM compared to the control diet. Results showed that Alfalfa can be replaced by dried de-oiled savory in finishing lambs diets and improve meat quality by reducing sits saturated fatty acids content.

Keywords

• Alfalfa
• bio-hydrogenation
• Fatty acids
• finishing lambs
• Satureja khuzistanica