MEAT QUALITY OF BROWN HARES (LEPUS-EUROPA EUS PALL.) - 2 - COMPOSITION OF FATTY-ACIDS IN INTRAMUSCULAR FAT OF M. LONGISSIMUS LUMBORUM ET THORACIS

Composition of fatty acids and content of total cholesterol in intramu scular fat of M. longissimus lumborum et thoracis were studied in brow n hares (n = 12) of the West Slowakian hunting ground. Sex and weight were determined after shooting and the one eye was prepared for the ex amination of age. The hares were divided into this year's and older an imals according to the weight of dry eye lens. The lenses were dried a t 105 degrees C. The boundary 280 mg was taken into account. It was de termined on the basis of graphic analysis of the age structure. More d etailed analysis according to the interval of vagueness 261-300 mg was taken into account as well. Fatty acids were extracted from homogeniz ed samples by multiple extraction with petroleum ether and they were c onverted to methyl ester by the alkaline transmethylation. The percent age of fatty acids was determined by the analysis of methyl esters on the apparatus PACKARD MODE 419 using nitrogen as carrier gas. The dete rmined fatty acids were detected using the iodising detector (FID). Th e content of fatty acids was evaluated with the computer programme NEL SON ANALYTICAL in personal computer. The whole process was calibrated using the standard substances from the firm POLY SCIENCE CORPORATION a pplicating the determined retention times into the evaluation programm e NELSON. Representation of fatty acids is given in % of their total s um in tables. Cholesterol content was determined with the method based on colour reaction of cholesterol with acetic anhydride and concentra ted sulphuric acid. The gained results were processed with mathematica l and statistical methods. Differences of traits in dependence on age and sex of hares were tested with F and t-tests. The presence of 13 fa tty acids of the C8-22 series were found, linolenic, linolenic and ara chidonic acids were present from essential acids. The influence of sex was observed with capric (P < 0,001), palmitoleic, linolenic (P < 0.0 1), cikosaenic and arachidonic (P < 0,05) acids. It was not determined to which sex the animals belonged neither in the value of nonsaturate dness (P/S-Quotient M-K1,M-2,M-3,M-4/M-K0) and in nutritive value (NV = M-K2,M-3,M-4/M-K0) nor in cholesterol content. Significant differenc es between the groups of young (n = 8) and adult (n = 4) hares were ob served only in stearic acid (P < 0,05). Significance to of age was not statistically confirmed in values of unsaturotedness, nutritive value and content of cholesterol. P/S-Quotient of fat M-K1,M-2,M-3,M-4/M-K0 created the span 0.845 to 0.893, nutritive value 0.299 to 0.340 and c ontent of cholesterol 128 to 144 mg/100 g on the whole.