Nutritional characteristics of meat from lambs finished with diets containing sugar cane or corn silage on two levels of concentrate

The objective of this work was to evaluate nutritional characteristics of meat from lambs finished on feedlot with diets containing sugar cane or corn silage on two roughage: concentrate ratios (60:40 or 40:60). It was used 32 non castrated Ile de France lambs, with 15 kg of body weight distributed in a complete random experimental design in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement. The animals were confined in individual stalls and slaughtered at 32 kg. Lamb meats had 74.55% of moisture, 19.61% of crude protein, 1.04% of ash and 51.28 mg/100g of cholesterol. Ether extract was greater in meat of lambs fed corn silage (3.97%) and in the meat of those animals which received more concentrate food (4.02%). Fatty acids at greater concentration in lamb meat were: C18:1 omega 9 (37.93%), C16:0 (26.41%), C18:0 (17.09%), C14:0 (4.18%) and C18:2 omega 6 (4.00%). The meat of lambs fed diets containing sugar cane had higher contents of C10:0 (0.47%) and C20:4 omega 6 (4.17%), and lower contents of C16:1 omega 7 (2.02%) and C18:3 omega 3 (0.25%). Diet with greater amount of sugar cane (60%) promoted more contents of acids C15:0 (0.68%), C17:0 (2.13%) and C20:2 (1.34%) in the meat. Diets with sugar cane or more quantities of roughage (60%) promote lower deposition of fat in lamb meat. Type of roughage has more influence on fatty acid profile of lamb meat when compared to roughage:concentrate ratio of diets. Diets containing higher quantity of sugar cane originate lamb meat with greater concentrations of odd chain saturated fatty acids.