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Abstract: Intramuscular, subcutaneous and kidney knob fat depot fatty acid profiles were studied in 104 male suckling kids from seven Spanish breeds: Blanca Andaluza, Blanca Celtibérica, Moncaína, Negra Serrana-Castiza, Pirenaica, Malagueña and Murciano-Granadina. Kids were raised in the traditional production system on mother''s milk and slaughtered at around 7kg live weight. Differences were observed between dairy (Malagueña) and meat breeds (Blanca Andaluza, Blanca Celtibérica, Moncaína, Negra Serrana-Castiza, and Pirenaica). Malagueña showed higher monounsaturated and conjugated linoleic fatty acid levels than the other breeds. Highest percentages of saturated fatty acids were observed in meat breeds. For intramuscular fat depot, the range for desirable fatty acids was 66.16–72.27% was. The influence of breed on fatty acid profiles of intramuscular, subcutaneous and kidney knob fat depots studied was evident. Intramuscular fat depot is proposed as a differentiating factor between dairy and meat breed goat kids, but not between meat breed kids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fatty acid composition of intramuscular, intermuscular, subcutaneous, omental and kidney knob fat depots of eighty male light lambs (±21kg live weight) from five Spanish sheep breeds was analysed. Fat depot, anatomical depot location (internal, external and intramuscular), breed (Spanish Merino, Grazalema Merino, Churra Lebrijana, Segureña and Montesina), weaning type (weaning at 45 days after birth or no weaning) and subcutaneous fat thickness factors were analyzed using a statistical model to quantify their contribution to the variation of each fatty acid. Production system was the main factor to explain variations in overall fatty acid profiles (34.68%). However, for several fatty acids and indices (arachidonic, linoleic, PUFA, n −3/n −6) anatomical depot location was the most significant factor. Feeding system explained 65.49% of CLA variance, indicating a strong influence of suckling period length on CLA deposition in lambs’ fat. Moreover, due to the lack of interaction between anatomical depot location or depot and breed type or weaning system for total CLA, for future research only one depot would be enough to study the effect of those factors on CLA levels. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Despite the fact that goat meat is an important nutritive source throughout the world, aspects related to its characterization, and in particular genetic issues, have rarely been studied. Our objective was to assess the variability of the Stearoyl-CoA desaturase ( SCD ) gene in a sample of Spanish goat populations bred for both meat and dairy purposes and to look for possible associations between this genetic variability and the fatty acid composition in two fat deposits of industrial interest (perirenal and intramuscular). To do this, a goat population of 140 male suckling kids belonging to meat and dairy breeds was selected from farms in southern Spain. Four markers were detected in the SCD gene ( SCD 2, SCD3 172 , SCD3 181 , and SCD3 231 ) in the population, and significant associations were found between these markers and five individual fatty acids: C8:0, C11:0, C15:1, C16:1 cis -9 and CLA 10 trans -12 cis and two groups of fatty acids: SFA and MUFA. While significant associations in early (perirenal) fat depots for both dairy and meat purposes were observed, the only significant association in late (intramuscular) depots was found in goat kids bred for meat purposes. The SCD has been shown to be a useful gene to estimate the potential to show the different amounts of fatty acids in the fat of goat kids and use it in improvement programs which might provide an added value to goat meat and might help to produce a more competitive final product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]