FATTY-ACID COMPOSITION OF GOAT ORGAN AND MUSCLE MEAT OF ALPINE AND NUBIAN BREEDS

Fatty acid compositions of liver, heart, kidney, Longissimus dorsi (LD ) and Biceps femoris (BF) of two goat breeds were evaluated using capi llary gas chromatography (GC). Lauric (C12:0) acid was absent from the liver and kidney. All organ samples had significantly (P < 0.01) grea ter polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) than the LD and BF muscles. The organs also contained significantly (P < 0.01) higher saturated fatty acids (SFA) than the skeletal muscles, whereas the opposite trend occ urred for the C18:1 contents. Levels of 14:0, 16:0, and 18:2 acids wer e related to breed, while those of 14:0, 18:0, 18:1, 18:2, and 20:4 ac ids were related to tissues. Goat muscle had higher PUFA:SFA ratio tha n those reported for beef, which may be important in human nutrition.