Vidmantas Pileckas

Effect of different roe deer muscles on fatty acid composition in intramuscular fat.

Abstract The aim of the work was to study the effect of different muscles on the fatty acid composition in the intramuscular fat of roe deer hunted in Lithuania. The samples were excised from the five muscles of different carcass sites: m. longissimus dorsi (LD), m. deltoideus (shoulder), m. tensor fascia e latae (hind quarter), m. cleidocipitalis (neck) and m. intercostales interni (brisket) of hunted animals. The data were subjected to the analysis of variance in general linear (GLM Multivariate) procedure in SPSS 17. The muscle location of roe deer males appeared to affect the fatty acid composition in the intramuscular fat. The total proportions of saturated (SFA ), monounsaturated (MUFA ) and polyunsaturated (PUFA), including individual SFA, MUFA and PUFA acids were affected by the muscle. The highest levels of SFA and MUFA and the lowest levels of PUFA were found in the intramuscular fat of neck and brisket muscles and vice versa, the lowest levels of SFA and MUFA and the highest levels of PUFA were found in the intramuscular fat of LD and hind quarter muscles. The muscle type of roe deer appeared to affect the lipid quality indices. The lowest atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes, and the highest hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio were in the intramuscular fat of LD and hind quarter muscles.