Effects of intramuscular Vitamin E multiple injection on quality, oxidative stability and consumer acceptability of meat from Laticauda lambs fed under natural rearing conditions

The effects of intramuscular injection of vitamin E on performance, carcass traits, physicochemical andnutritional properties of meat, lipid oxidation, and consumer acceptability were studied in Laticaudalambs. Twenty four 15 day old Laticauda suckling male lambs were randomly divided into two groups andweekly intramuscular injections of DL--tocopheryl acetate (Control group, 0 IU; Vitamin E-treatment, atotal dose of 1500 IU) were given until the lambs were 57 days old. Lambs were slaughtered at 64 days ofage (live weight: 20.41 ± 0.61 and 19.58 ± 1.01 kg for Control and Vitamin E-treated groups, respectively).Vitamin E treatment did not influence growth but reduced hot dressing percentage. Vitamin E did notaffect the most meat quality traits as well as cholesterol, while increased meat redness and lipid oxidativestability. The treatment also increased the total PUFA, the PUFA to SFA ratio and decreased the n-6to n-3 FA ratio and thrombogenic index. Meat from vitamin E treated lambs received higher hedonicscores for tenderness and juiciness than the respective control. In conclusion, this study has shown thatintramuscular vitamin E multiple injection reduced lipid oxidation; maintained the redness of meat, andincreased the nutritional value and consumer acceptability of lamb meat.