Fatty acid composition of meat of Sarda suckling lamb

The fatty acid composition of dietary fat has an important role in human nutrition because can help to reduce the risk of appearance of some diseases. In this work fatty acid profile of meat of Sarda suckling lamb was studied in order to improve meat fat quality in relation to human health. Aim of this thesis was firstly to assess the effect of different management systems, indoorvs. outdoor, on fatty acid profile of meat of Sarda suckling lamb. Lambs which followed their mother on pasture had a qualitatively better fat, from a nutritional point of view, than lambs raised indoor due to lower proportions of SFA and to the higher C18:3 n3, DPA and DHA contents. The aim of the second experimental contribute was to quantify the relationships between fatty acids profiles of lamb’s meat and their mother’s milk; the results showed that there is a low relationships between the concentrations of C18:1 t11, c9, t11 CLA and C18:3 n3 in the meat of lambs and those of their mother’s milk. The third experimental contribute assess the effect of different milk source (natural or artificial) on fatty acid profile of lamb meat. Meat of lambs feed only a milk replacer had a fatty acid profile less favorable due to the higher n6/n3 ratio and to a lower CLA content than meat from lambs naturally reared. Lastly, the aim of the fourth study was to compare the fatty acid profile of lamb meat with those of baby foods based on lamb meat. Fresh lamb meat showed a fatty acid profile more balanced to infant nutrition compared to baby food. This suggest the possibility to improve the essential and LC-PUFA contents of commercial baby food based on lamb meat by using meat from suckling lambs.