Relationship between pork fatty acid content in selected muscles and carcass tissues

Abstract

Pork plays a central role in culinary tradition in Central Europe. Most of the studies determine the fatty acid (FA) content separately in muscles and subcutaneous fat. However, it is also important to determine the FA content of meat products, which contain a mixture of muscles and fat. The determination of FA in carcass tissues is difficult and leads to the destruction of the whole carcass. Thus, the aim of this study was to estimate the FA content of carcass meat (muscles with inter- and intramuscular fat, MC), and carcass soft tissues (muscles with inter- and intramuscular fat and subcutaneous fat, SC) based on a single muscle. Fatty acids were analysed using gas chromatography. Thirty crossbred pigs were fed diets differing in their fatty acid content and n-6 : n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio. Samples of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LL), Biceps femoris (BF), Semitendinosus (ST), and Semimembranosus (SM) muscles, MC, and SC were taken. Correlation between linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids contents and n-6 : n-3 PUFA in examined muscles and MC ranged from 0.809 (SM) to 0.961 (LL), from 0.708 (LL) to 0.954 (ST), from 0.907 (SM) to 0.941 (ST), respectively (P = 0.000). Correlation between linolenic, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids contents and n-6 : n-3 PUFA in examined muscles and SC ranged from 0.773 (SM) to 0.954 (LL), 0.763 (LL) to 0.983 (BF), and from 0.909 (LL) to 0.940 (ST), respectively (P = 0.000). Results allow estimate the FA content of MC and SC based on their content in single muscles.