CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, MEAT QUALITY AND OXIDATIVE STATUS OF PORK AFTER SUPPLEMENTATION OF DIET WITH VITAMIN E AND/OR VITAMIN E + HERB EXTRACTS

The effect of supplementation of vitamin E and herb extracts on chemical composition, quality traits and oxidative status of pork was evaluated. Total eighty hybrid pigs - crosses of Landrace sows and Hampshire x Pietrain boars were involved into the experiment. Pigs were divided to one control and three experimental groups (each of 20 animals with equal number of gilts and castrates). All pigs were heterozygotes on RYR1 gene. Experimental groups received diet with supplement of vitamin E (500 mg/kg feed) for 30 days before slaughter or supplement of this vitamin in combination with lemon balm extract (100 ml/pig/day) and/or oregano extract (60 ml/pig/day) for 10 days before slaughter. Supplementation of vitamin E singly or in combination with herb extracts had no effect on chemical composition of pork. Vitamin E significantly (P<0.05) increased the concentration of α-tocopherol in longissimus dorsi muscle. Electrical conductivity in muscle 24 h post mortem was significantly lower in all experimental groups in comparison to control group (4.96 - 5.06 vs. 6.12 µS). Significant positive effect of herb extracts on meat colour (parameter "a") in stored pork was found (3.22 and 3.41 vs. 2.54). Lipid oxidation measured as TBARS value was decreased significantly in groups with vitamin E and/or vitamin E + lemon balm extract after 5-days storage of pork (0.193 and 0.190 vs. 0.267 mg/kg).