Preliminary Study on Meat Quality of Goats Fed Levels of Licury Oil in the Diet

Abstract

The study aimed to evaluate the best level of licury oil in the diet of 3/4 Boer goats, as determined by profile analysis of commercial cuts on aspects of chemical composition, sensorial quality and fatty acid content. Nineteen male goats were used, with an initial weight of 10.8 kg/live weigh. The animals were fed with hay and a concentrated mix containing different levels of licury oil, which constituted the treatments. The experiment lasted for 60 days, at which point the animals were submitted to feed fasting and slaughtered. The carcass weight, commercial yield and cuts were measured. The ham was collected for sensorial and chemical evaluation and the longissimus dorsi was collected for fatty acid profile analysis. The addition of licury oil to the diet did not promote changes in the proportions and weights of the commercial cuts, nor to the meat's sensorial attributes. The sum of medium-chain fatty acids and the atherogenicity index was increased with the addition of oil. Licury oil can be added to the diet of goats (up to 4.5%) without resulting in changes in to the proportions of the commercial cuts, or to the chemical composition or sensorial characteristics of the meat. Based on the chain length of fatty acids, the addition of 4.5% licury oil can improve the quality of meat, but no effect was noted in relation to the atherogenicity index.