Fatty acid composition of lambs suckling ewes fed with different vegetable oils

Abstract

Forty eight Churra ewes were used to study the effects of supplementing diets with 3% of different vegetable oils (linseed oil, Lin; soya oil, Soy; olive oil, Oli) or hydrogenated palm oil (Control, Con) on fatty acid composition of suckling lambs covered by the protected geographical indication (PGI) "Lechazo de Castilla y León". The lambs were suckled by their dams and slaughtered when they reached 11 kg body weight. Samples from intramuscular and subcutaneous fat were taken. Regardless the depot, fat from lambs on groups Lin, Soy and Oli presented lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA). Moreover, Oli lambs showed greater proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Soya oil produced an increase in n6/n3 ratio in both depots, and increased PUFA and PUFA/SFA ratio in subcutaneous fat. Linseed oil reduced n6/n3 ratio in both depots, whereas also PUFA and PUFA/SFA ratio were greater in subcutaneous fat. Lipid composition of "Lechazo de Castilla y León" suckling lambs can be modified by supplementing their dams with different oils.