Effects of Functional Oils and Vitamin E Addition on Meat Sensory Traits from Feedlot Lambs

The use of functional oils replacing additives, such as antibiotics, ionophores and growth promoters, has shown good results. Furthermore, there is an increasing demand for healthier meat from consumers. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of functional oils (Ricinus communis and Anacardium occidentale) and vitamin E in high grain diets on meat sensory traits of lambs. A total of 30 crossbred lambs (12 males and 18 females), five months of age, were used. Lambs presenting initial mean weight of 26±3.6 kg for females and 28±3.6 for males were grouped into randomized block design, confined and assigned to the following treatments, with ten replicates each: C - no additives inclusion; OIL - inclusion of functional oils (500 mg/kg DM), and OILVIT - inclusion of functional oils (500mg/kg DM) + vitamin E (500 IU vitamin E/kg DM). Animals were fed ad libitum with a high grain diet containing 85% of concentrate. At the end of the experimental period (77 days), the animals were harvested with a final mean weight of 38.59±4.15 kg (females) and 47.11±4.24 kg (males). Vacuum packaged steaks (2.54 cm thick) from the longissimus muscle were collected and stored at -18°C pending analysis for sensory traits. An acceptance test was used, in which 100 untrained laboratory consumer panelists evaluated one sample from each treatment class. Each panelist evaluated the samples using an evaluation form including a 9-point hedonic scale, where 1 = dislike extremely and 9 = like extremely, for sensory attributes, such as aroma, flavor, tenderness and juiciness, and a scale from 1-5, where 1 = very strong and 5 = absent, for off-flavor and off-aroma. Statistical analyses were performed using the PROC MIXED SAS® program (version 9.2). No difference was found between treatments for aroma, off-flavor and off-aroma (P > 0.05). The best scores were observed in OILVIT for the tenderness and juiciness attributes when compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05). For the flavor attribute, the best scores were observed in OILVIT and C when compared to the OIL treatment (P < 0.05). The inclusion of functional oils and vitamin E in the sheep diets appears to be a good option to improve lamb sensorial traits.