Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Lambs Fed with Increasing Levels of High-Oleic Sunflower Cake

Daviane M. Costa, Tharcilla I. R. C. Alvarenga (), Isabela J. dos Santos, Paulo C. G. Dias Junior, Flavio A. P. Alvarenga, Nadja G. Alves and Iraides F. Furusho-Garcia
Additional contact information
Daviane M. Costa: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, (DZO/UFLA), P.O. Box 3037, Lavras CEP 37200-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Tharcilla I. R. C. Alvarenga: Armidale Livestock Industries Centre, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Isabela J. dos Santos: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, (DZO/UFLA), P.O. Box 3037, Lavras CEP 37200-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Paulo C. G. Dias Junior: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, (DZO/UFLA), P.O. Box 3037, Lavras CEP 37200-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Flavio A. P. Alvarenga: Armidale Livestock Industries Centre, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Nadja G. Alves: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, (DZO/UFLA), P.O. Box 3037, Lavras CEP 37200-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Iraides F. Furusho-Garcia: Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Lavras, (DZO/UFLA), P.O. Box 3037, Lavras CEP 37200-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-14

Abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of sunflower cake from high-oleic seeds on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and intramuscular fatty acid composition of finishing lambs. Thirty-six crossbred ewe lambs were assigned to four treatments (nine lambs/treatment) in a completely randomized design: 0 (control), 150, 300 and 450 g/kg DM of high-oleic sunflower cake. The lambs were weighed weekly and slaughtered with 42.3 ± 0.18 kg body weight and 270 ± 10.8 days of old. The inclusion of sunflower cake did not affect weight gain, dry matter intake and metabolizable energy intake ( p > 0.05). There was an increase in neutral detergent fiber and EE intake ( p < 0.01) with the inclusion of sunflower cake in the diet of the lambs. The inclusion of sunflower cake reduced hot and cold carcass yields ( p < 0.01). Intramuscular fat content, L *, oleic acid, rumenic acid and EPA fatty acids linearly increased ( p < 0.01) with the inclusion of high-oleic sunflower cake. The inclusion of high-oleic sunflower cake reduced saturated fatty acids ( p < 0.01), except stearic acid, which linearly increased ( p < 0.01). Up to 450 g/kg DM of high-oleic sunflower cake in the diet of lambs did not affect animal performance while providing a higher deposition of fat with better fatty acid composition for human consumption.

Keywords: ruminant nutrition; by-product; fatty acids; PUFA; saturated fatty acids; ovine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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