Lea Gašperlin

Cholesterol concentration and fatty acid profile of red deer (Cervus elaphus) meat

The effects of gender and age on intramuscular fat (IMF) levels, cholesterol concentration, and fatty acid composition were investigated in the semitendinosus (ST) and triceps brachii (TB) muscles of feral red deer (Cervus elaphus). Six stags of >2years of age, four hinds of 1year, and six calves of 6months were shot in Slovenia. Generally, all parameters measured were influenced by interaction of muscle and treatment group (hinds, stags and calves) at the 5% level or less. In ST muscle, the IMF levels were highest for hinds. In the TB muscle, cholesterol was lower for stags than for hinds and calves. The saturated fatty acids were the highest for stags and the mono-unsaturated fatty acids for hinds. The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were the highest for calves and lowest for hinds. The n-3 PUFAs were the lowest for hinds. In both muscles, the calves had higher n-6 PUFAs than stags and hinds. Only the ST muscle of the hinds contained >1% (1.44%) of the conjugated linoleic acid isomer 18:2cis-9,trans-11, while in the TB of hinds and calves this fatty acid was higher than with stags. We conclude that gender and age of feral red deer influence the IMF content, the cholesterol concentration, and the fatty acid composition of the meat.

Degradation of PCBs in a frankfurter-type meat emulsion: effects of a meat starter, its proteins extract and thermal treatments.

The degradation of a series of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners (PCBs 10, 28, 52, 138, 153, 180) in meat emulsions of a frankfurter type was investigated. With a pool of these PCBs added to the meat emulsion, three initial experimental groups were used: no further addition, or plus a commercial meat starter (containing Staphylococcus xylosus and Staphylococcus carnosus), or plus the protein extract from this commercial meat starter. Prior to further treatments, these samples were incubated for 72 h at 4°C. These meat emulsions were then either left at 4 °C (raw) or thermally treated to two different internal temperatures: 78 and 100 °C. Following cooling and a further 24 h at 4 °C, all of the samples were extracted with hexane to recover the PCB residues, following method EPA 608, with some modifications. The addition into the meat emulsion of the commercial meat starter and the proteins extract both affected PCB degradation. Also, the effects of thermal treatment at both temperatures saw the PCB contents successfully reduced, as compared to the raw meat emulsions.