Effect of addition of dry distilled rose petals in the diet on the meat quality in entire male pigs

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of addition of phytonutrients from dry distilled rose petals (DDRP) in the feed on the meat quality and boar taint of entire male pigs. A total of 30 male 146 days old pigs from Danube white breed with an average body weight of 67 kg were allocated to one of the three groups – control (castrated male pigs - C), entire male pigs (EM), and EM fed with addition of 5 g of DDRP in 1 kg of feed (EM+R). At the age of 186 days and average live weight of 109 kg, the pigs were slaughtered and samples of m. Longissimus lumborum (LL) were subjected to analysis of meat quality characteristics (pH 45 min, pH 24 h, water holding capacity (WHC), L*a*b*c* colour space), proximate composition of the meat, fatty acid composition, androstenon and skatole content. The results showed that sex category had much more influence on the investigated traits than DDRP. The two groups ЕМ pigs presented lower backfat content (P<0.001), lower intramuscular fat content (P<0.001) and higher lean meat percentage (P<0.01) in LL muscle, compared to C group. An increase in the n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids proportion and especially the content of alpha-linolenic acid, and intensity of meat colouring in the intact males, in comparison to castrated males, were found. The boar taint detected in the meat showed a trend of decreasing in the group consuming dry distilled rose petals.

Keywords

• m. longissimus lumborum
• lean meat percentage
• intramuscular fat content
• fatty acid composition
• meat colour
• boar taint