Proximate composition, fatty acids and cholesterol content of meat cuts from tegu lizard Tupinambis merianae

CALDIRONI, H.A.; MANES, M.E.

JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

ELSEVIER

Año: 2006 vol. 19 p. 711 - 714

0889-1575

  The proximate composition, fatty acid composition and cholesterol content of  three different cuts of meat from  tegu Tupinambis merianae were determined. Moisture ( 72.0 ± 0.7 %), protein (23.6 ± 0.7 %) , fat (4.0 ± 1.3 %) and ash (1.2 ± 0.2 % ) did not differ from values obtained from beef or chicken meat. The cholesterol content ( 18.2 ± 5.8 mg / 100 g tissue) was similar  among the cuts and was lower  in tegu meat than in other meats of similar fat content such as beef, chicken or fish. The relation between polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids   (1.09) was comparable to that  of some species of fish, and the fat presents nutritional qualities comparable with those of chicken meat.