Fatty acid profile and sensory properties of lamb meat from males of five indigenous breeds

The objective of this study was to determine meat quality characteristics, fatty acid profiles, and sensory characteristics of 50 single-birth male lambs from five breeds: Artli (n = 10), Cepni (n = 10), Hemsin (n = 10), Karayaka (n = 10), and Of (n = 10). At the beginning of the experiment, the average age and weight of the lambs were 120 +/- 5 d and 30.7 +/- 0.68 kg respectively. After 60 d of intensive fattening, the average live weight before slaughter was 40.96 kg +/- 0.76 kg. All evaluations were performed on samples from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle. There was no difference between breeds in terms of the pH values of the hot carcasses, whereas the cold carcass pH values were higher (P<0.001) in Hemsin animals than in the other breeds. Meat chemical properties (such as organic matter; dry matter; and fat, measured as the ether extract), physical properties (such as cooking loss; drip loss; and water-holding capacity, WHC), and instrumental values (such as colour, L* and b* values, chewiness, hardness, and resilience) were significantly affected by breed differences. Additionally, the differences between breeds were found to be significant in terms of the fatty acid composition and the evaluation of organoleptic properties, such as sensory characteristics, flavour, and juiciness of cooked (boiled or roasted) meat. The results show that lamb meat's physical, chemical, and sensory properties vary by breed. The differences found in the composition and presence of meat fatty acids between and within breeds can be used as a source of variation for future genetic improvement strategies.