Effects of lycopene and tomato paste on oxidative stability and fatty acid composition of fresh belly meat in finishing pigs

The present study was undertaken to investigate the effects of dietary lycopene and tomato paste on plasma lipids, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and fatty acid composition of fresh belly meats from finishing pigs. In addition, lycopene concentrations in fresh belly meat were measured. A total of 60, 18-week-old crossbred pigs (Landrace x Yorkshire x Duroc) were fed four dietary treatments for four weeks. The diets included a base diet of maize and soybean meal (control treatment) and the base diet mixed with lycopene (20 mg/kg of diet); or tomato paste (3.4 g/100 g diet); or both (10 mg/kg lycopene and 1.7 g tomato paste/100 g diet). Supplementing pigs with lycopene and/or tomato paste did not affect production traits, plasma lipids including total lipids, total cholesterol, high-density and low-density cholesterols, and triglycerides. The dietary lycopene or tomato paste resulted in significantly lower (p < .05) MDA concentrations in fresh pork bellies compared with the control group. Lycopene was not detected in fresh belly meat of pigs fed the control diet, but the lycopene concentration was significantly higher (p < .05) in lycopene- or tomato paste-fed pigs. The fatty acid composition of fresh belly meat was not affected by dietary treatment. We conclude that the dietary lycopene or tomato paste failed to affect growth performance and lipid parameters in late finishing pigs but resulted in lower MDA concentrations in fresh pork belly meats. It is likely that enhanced oxidative stability in pork belly meats is mediated via the incorporation of diet-origin lycopene in the analysed tissues.