Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T22:59:57.198Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Traceability of lamb production systems: carotenoids in plasma and adipose tissue

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

S. Prache  and
M. Theriez
S. Prache
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Centre de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
M. Theriez
Affiliation:
Laboratoire Adaptation des Herbivores aux Milieux, Centre de Clermont-Ferrand/Theix, 63122 St-Genès-Champanelle, France
Get access

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine whether carotenoid pigments can act as biomarkers of grass feeding to trace lamb production systems. Three production systems were compared: G = grazing (72 lambs), S = stall-feeding (26 lambs), and GS = grazing period followed by a stall-feeding period (27 lambs). Presence of carotenoids in tissues was evaluated by plasma concentration and reflectance spectrum of subcutaneous caudal adipose tissue. Plasma carotenoid content was measured during the grazing period for G and GS lambs, at the end of the grazing period for GS lambs and at slaughter for G, S and GS lambs. Reflectance spectrum of adipose tissue was measured at slaughter for 38 G and 26 S lambs. We collected 135 G and 26 S blood samples. Carotenoids were detected in 97% of the G blood samples, whereas they were not detected in 93% of the S blood samples. Plasma carotenoid content of all the GS lambs decreased during the stall-feeding period. Mean reflectance spectra of adipose tissue of G and S lambs differed between 450 and 510 nm, which corresponds to light absorption by carotenoids. We performed a mathematical analysis of the spectrum in order to quantify absorbance in this zone and to propose an index that can be used in the meat industry to trace animal production systems. This method was less discriminating than plasma carotenoid analysis, as there was some overlapping in the frequency distribution of the traceability index for G and S lambs that concerned 19% of the lambs. Sensitivity of the two methods to bias and applicability to cattle are discussed.

Keywords

carotenoidslamb (meat)sheep farmingtracer techniques
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , August 1999 , pp. 29 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1999

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baker, R. L., Steine, T., Vábeno, A. W. and Breines, D. 1985. The inheritance and incidence of yellow fat in Norwegian sheep. Acta Agriculturæ Scandinavica 35: 389–397.Google Scholar
Goodwin, T. W. 1954. The biochemical pathology of animal pigments. Biochemical Society symposia no. 12, p. 71. Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Hill, F. 1962. Yellow fat in sheep. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 1: 83–89.Google Scholar
Karijord, O. 1978. Correlation between the content of carotenoids in depot fat and in plasma of sheep. Acta Agricultural Scandinavica 28: 355–359.Google Scholar
Patterson, D. S. P. 1965. The association between depot fat mobilization and the presence of xanthophyll in the plasma of normal sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 64: 273–278.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prache, S., Aurousseau, B., Thériez, M. and Renerre, M. 1990. Les défauts de couleur du tissu adipeux sous-cutané des carcasses d’ovins. INRA Productions Animales 3: 275–285.Google Scholar
Prache, S., Roguet, C. and Petit, M. 1998. How degree of selectivity modifies foraging behaviour of dry ewes on reproductive compared to vegetative sward structure. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 57: 91–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rock, C. L. 1997. Carotenoids: biology and treatment. Pharmacology and Therapeutics 75: 185–197.Google ScholarPubMed
Statistical Analysis Systems Institute. 1985. SAS user’s guide: statistics. Statistical Analysis Systems Institute, Cary, NC.Google Scholar
Swatland, H. J. 1988. Carotene reflectance and the yellowness of bovine adipose tissue measured with a portable fibre-optic spectrophotometer. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 46: 195–200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thériez, M., Aurousseau, B., Prache, S. and Mendizabal, J. 1997. Les défauts de couleur des gras d’agneaux. Rencontres Recherches Ruminants 4: 295–301.Google Scholar
Wolter, R. 1988. Alimentation vitaminique. In Alimentation des bovins, ovins et caprins, pp. 113–120. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, France.Google Scholar
Yang, A., Larsen, T. W. and Turne, R. K. 1992. Carotenoid and retinol concentrations in serum, adipose tissue and liver and carotenoid transport in sheep, goats and cattle. Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 43: 1809–1817.CrossRefGoogle Scholar