Total lipid content and fatty acid composition in edible offal from pigs

The objective of this study was to investigate the lipid content and fatty acid profile in six edible organs, namely heart, brain, pancreas, kidney, liver, and tongue from commercial crossbred pigs. Results indicate that total lipid and fatty acid composition were significantly affected by organ type. Large differences in lipid contents were found, ranging from 1.4 to 6.8 g/100 g of tissue. Brain had the highest lipid content followed by tongue, pancreas, liver, kidney, and heart. The fatty acid profile revealed low relative proportions of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in heart. In contrast, higher amounts of un-saturated fatty acids were obtained for heart (PUFA), and tongue (MUFA). Heart and kidney had the most favourable PUFA/SFA ratio. However, the ratio of n-6 and n-3 PUFA in by-products from pigs was above to the nutritional recommendation for human diet, except in brain. Moreover, variations in fatty acid profile clearly highlight the differences between the organs as showed by principal component analysis. Our findings indicate that some edible offal from pig were relatively rich in SFA and, therefore, should be consumed moderately if integrated into a varied well-balanced diet.