Antioxidant status, colour stability and myoglobin resistance to oxidation of longissimus dorsi muscle from lambs fed a tannin-containing diet

• Published in: Food chemistry 2011-02, Vol.124 (3), p.1036-1042
• Main Authors: Luciano, G., Vasta, V., Monahan, F.J., López-Andrés, P., Biondi, L., Lanza, M., Priolo, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: antioxidant activity; Antioxidant status; color; color stability; Colour stability; Dietary polyphenols; feed supplements; food analysis; Lamb; lamb feeding; lamb meat; lambs; longissimus dorsi; meat composition; meat quality; myoglobin; Myoglobin oxidation; oxidation; phenolic compounds; tannins
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2010.07.070

Fourteen lambs were individually penned for 60 days. Seven lambs (C) were fed a barley-based concentrate, while 7 animals (T) received the same concentrate supplemented with 8.96% (dry matter basis) quebracho ( Schinopsis lorentzii) extract. Tannin supplementation extended colour stability of fresh longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) over 7 days of aerobic storage with lower changes in hue angle over time in LM from T-fed animals compared to C-fed lambs ( P = 0.032). Muscle from T-fed lambs had lower metmyoglobin percentages (MMb%) than that from C-fed animals after 3 days of storage ( P = 0.05) and tended to have slower rates of change in ( K/S) 572 ÷ ( K/S) 525 values ( P = 0.07). Compared to the C diet, tannin supplementation increased the concentration of total phenols in muscle (+31.29%, P = 0.001) and resulted in a higher muscle antioxidant capacity measured by FRAP (+16.81%, P = 0.026) and TEAC (+24.81%, P = 0.001) tests. Furthermore, feeding tannins resulted in lower MMb% after nitrite-induced oxidation measured both at the meat surface (−10%, P = 0.012) and in a meat extract (−8.22%, P = 0.004).