INTRAMUSCULAR FATTY ACID COMPOSITION AND CLA CONTENT OF TWO TYPES OF NORTHERN SPAIN FOALS

摘要

IntroductionIn Northern Spain, as in other European areas, horsemeat consumption has a certain importance (Badiani et al., 1997). Recent studies (Sanies et al., 2006) have shown that horsemeat fatty acid profile may be positive from a nutritional point of view, and in line with health recommendations.Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) consists of a group of geometric and positional isomers of linoleic acid to which anticarcinogenic, antiatherosclerosis, hypocholesterolemic, modulation of immune system and reduction of body fat effects (Pariza et al., 2001) are attributed. These substances, found in the meat and milk of ruminants, are mainly formed by biohydrogenation of grass fatty acids by rumen microflora and the desaturation of trans-fatty acids in the adipose tissue and mammary gland. However, small amounts of CLA have been found in meat from non-ruminants, as pigs (Chin et al., 1992). Therefore, since horse is a pseudo-ruminant, with faecal ruminant activity, and grass is present in its diet, CLA may be formed in foal tissues in a similar way to that of ruminants. The objective of the present study was to investigate the fatty acid and CLA content in foals' intramuscular fat, in two different breeds traditionally bred in Northern Spain.