Proximate composition, properties of lipid and mineral contents in Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) meat

Evaluation of proximate composition, lipid classes, fatty acid composition, and cholesterol and mineral contents of dressed meat was undertaken from f eral Yeso sika deer caught around Abashiri city, Hokkaido. The results of t he proximate composition of the meat were : 21.9 to 22.6% protein, 1.2 to 3 .1% lipid, 72.9 to 74.8% moisture, and 1.6 to 2.1% ash. The meat of feral Y eso sika deer was characterized by a high protein content and a low fat con tent. There was no appreciable difference in the content of all the nutriti ve components between males and females, except for lipids. Neutral lipid a nd phospholipid represented over 78.8 and 14.8% of the total lipids, respec tively. The major component of neutral lipid was triglyceride, and those of phospholipid were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, and phos phatidylcholine. The major fatty acids of the total lipids in both sexes we re C 16 : 0, C 16 : 1, C 18 :0, C 18 : 1 and C 18 : 2, and the content of C 18 : 2 in males was higher than that in females. The major fatty acids of neutral lipid in both sexes were C 16:0, C 16 : 1, C 18 : 0 and C 18 : 1, a nd those of phospholipid were C 14 : 0, C 16 : 0, C 16: 1, C 18 : 0, C 18 : 1, C 18 : 2, C 18 : 3 and C 20 : 4. The sum of these fatty acids was more than 86% of the total fatty acids in each lipid class. Phospholipid contain ed a higher level of unsaturated fatty acids. The cholesterol levels varied from 46.3 to 58.6 (mg/100 g wet weight basis) in meat from both sexes. The meat contained relatively large quantities of K, Na and P, and smaller amo unts of Mg, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn.