The influence of the level of ewe gestation nutrition and lamb finishing diet on long-chain polyunsaturated fat concentration, antioxidant and mineral status, and colour stability of meat

The influence of ewe gestation nutrition (EGN) and lamb finishing diet (LFD) on muscle essential fatty acid, antioxidant and mineral status and retail colour of meat in F1 progeny lambs were investigated. First-cross Border Leicester × Merino and Maternal–Coopworth Composite ewes (n = 938) were artificially inseminated to nine terminal sires. From this flock, 648 pregnant ewes were selected between Day 41 and Day 49 of pregnancy, producing 72 pregnant ewes from each sire for distribution across six condition-score (CS) groups. Each CS group was balanced for three sires of high, medium and low lean meat yield and ewe breed. Variation in EGN was achieved through pasture allocations and supplementation, to meet three CS (2.5, 3.0 and 3.5) targets at lambing. At lambing, management of EGN ceased and ewes and lambs were given access to similar pasture allocations. Lambs were weaned at 12 weeks of age and backgrounded on pasture before the random allocation from within each block of sire by CS treatment combination, to the following three different finishing diets: high energy–high protein (HEHP); high energy–moderate protein (HEMP) and moderate energy–high protein (MEHP). Moderate EGN (CS 3.0) increased (P < 0.02) muscle C22:6n-3 and decreased (P < 0.04) C20:4n-6 concentrations compared with CS 2.5 and CS 3.5 EGN groups respectively. Redness of meat over the display period was greater (P = 0.005) for CS 3.0 and CS 3.5 EGN regimes than for the CS 2.5 regime. The MEHP diet reduced (P < 0.01) muscle C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6 and total n-6 fatty acid and increased antioxidant (vitamin E, P < 0.01) concentrations compared with HEHP and HEMP diets, but iron concentration was not affected. Differences in dietary vitamin E concentration between MEHP diet and HEHP or HEMP diets are likely to have contributed to increases in muscle antioxidant status. The energy and protein concentration of LFD had no effect on the health claimable n-3 fatty acid concentration in meat.