Effect of flaxseed and flaxseed oil supplemented in caiman diet on meat fatty acids

LEIVA, P. M. L.; FRUTOS, A.; LAVANDERA, J; SIMONCINI, M. S.; LABAQUE, M.C.; PIÑA, C.I.; GONZÁLEZ, M.

Chetumal

Congreso; XXVI Working Meeting Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN; 2022

Crocodiles Specialist Group - UICN

Polyunsaturated or long chain fatty acid increment in meat for humanconsumption improves both nutritional quality, and consumer perception.Increment could be produced by addition of rich sources of fatty acids ofomega-3 family (such as flaxseed or flaxseed oil) to the animal diet. Wemeasured fatty profile in two different caiman meat cuts (neck and tail) fromanimals raised in individual enclosures, fed during 30 days with regular dietsupplemented with: 10% crashed flaxseed (CF treatment), and 10% flaxseed oil(FO treatment). Animals were fed 5 times a week with regular diet (crashedchicken head and dry balanced food 70/30), and one day that food wassupplemented with CF or FO depending on assigned treatment. After 30 daysanimals were processed and tissues sampled were obtained (meat cuts from tailand neck). CF treatment did not improved caiman meat quality. On the otherhand, meat (tail and neck) from FO treatment have reduced level C16:0, andincrement of C18:1 t10, C22:5n-6, C22:5n-3, C22:6n-3 (DHA), total unsaturatedfatty acids, fatty acids of n-3 family, and the ratio n-6/n-3 was reduced. Dietenrichment with flaxseed oil once a week, during 30 days has improved omega-3fatty acid in caiman meat, producing positive effects to consumers’ health. Inorder to be implemented in caiman farms, the cost of flaxseed oil is about 20times more expensive than flaxseeds (but you should need more seeds since 10%once a week did not improved meat fatty acid profile), on the other hand it iseasier to manage oil, and you save crashing time and costs.