Macrominerals, trace elements and hem and non–hem iron status in muscle Longissimus dorsi, from five double purpose lambs breed reared on pasture system in Uruguay

Abstract

Sheep meat production is facing new challenges, so a thorough knowledge of the attributes of lamb meat produced by different genotypes and under pasture conditions is necessary to characterise these systems, to valorise and differentiate the product from a quality approach and towards a more natural image, attributes that are increasingly taken into account by consumers. This study aimed to characterize the lamb meat nutritionally, coming from five genetic types, reared in a pastoral system, through the content of essential minerals, macro element, Ca, Mg, Na and K, trace elements as Se, Co, Zn, Cu, Mn, total iron (TFe), hem iron (HFe) and non–hem iron (NHFe) and B12 vitamin in the Longissimus dorsi muscle. The breeds, Corriedale, Merino Dohne, Highlander®, Corriedale Pro, and Australian Merino x Corriedale crossbreed; n=10, were studied. Merino Dohne breed has the highest calcium concentration (66.6 ± 6.3 mg·kg–1), Highlander® and Merino Dohne have a significantly (P<0.05) higher manganese concentration (304.1 ± 26.0 and 308.7 ± 23.6 µg·kg–1, respectively) than the other breeds. There were no significant differences in vitamin B12 concentrations between lamb breeds. The HFe and HFe/TFe ratio was higher (P<0.05) in the Corriedale and Corriedale Pro breeds (15.7 ± 0.6 and 15.4 ± 0.7 mg·kg–1 and 81.7 ± 2.8% and 76.0 ± 2.2%, respectively) and consequently less NHFe, related to others groups. Also, increased Zn content was obtained in Corriedale (32.6 ± 1.3 mg·kg–1), but other breeds are also rich in zinc. These results show that meat from these breeds qualifies as a good source claim for people with high requirements as children and elders.