Effect of dietary oils and alpha-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on lipid (TBARS) and cholesterol oxidation in cooked pork

The effect of n-3 fatty acid-enriched diets tin the form of 0.5% linseed oi l with either 1.5% sunflower oil or 1.5% olive oil) and alpha -tocopheryl a cetate supplementation (200 mg/kg feed) on lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, TEARS) and cholesterol oxide products (COPS) in c ooked pork was investigated. Longissimus muscle was studied. Meat from pigs fed 0.5% linseed oil-enriched diets had a higher proportion of n-3 fatty a cid than meat from pigs in other dietary groups in neutral (P < 0.0001) and polar lipids (P < 0.0001), and a 20% reduction in the n-6:n-3 ratio was ob served, alpha -Tocopheryl acetate supplementation increased (P < 0.05) mono unsaturated fatty acids in polar lipids and increased (P = 0.0001) alpha -t ocopherol levels in muscle. alpha -tocopherol concentration in muscle was a ffected by dietary fat (P < 0.05). Groups receiving diets enriched with sun flower oil had significantly higher alpha -tocopherol levels (P < 0.05) in muscle than those groups receiving olive oil-enriched diets. Numbers of TEA RS were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the group fed supplemental olive oil than in those fed sunflower oil. Dietary linseed oil increased (P < 0.0 5) lipid oxidation principally at the initial period of storage in cooked p ork. Overall, dietary alpha -tocopheryl acetate supplementation significant ly increased (P < 0.001) lipid stability and decreased (P < 0.05) total COP production across the dietary groups. alpha -Tocopherol was a more effecti ve antioxidant for decreasing TEARS values in cooked meat when adding sunfl ower oil to the diets instead of olive oil.