Articles | Volume 48, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-48-592-2005
https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-48-592-2005
10 Oct 2005
 | 10 Oct 2005

Effects of Vitamin E by dietary supplementation and of Calcium Ascorbate by post mortem Injection in Muscle on the Antioxidative status and on Meat quality of Pigs

R. Lahucky, U. Kuechenmeister, I. Bahelka, K. Novotna, K. Vasickova, and K. Ender

Abstract. The effects of addition of vitamin E to pig diet and of calcium ascorbate injection in meat on the antioxidative status and meat quality (longissimus muscle) of pigs were investigated. The treatment consisted of supplementation with vitamin E (500 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg diet) for a minimum of 30 days to growing-finishing pigs before slaughter. Furthermore, meat samples (longissimus muscle) were injected with 10% by weight of a 1.5% calcium ascorbate solution. The dietary supplementation of fat soluble antioxidant vitamin E significantly (P<0.05) increased the concentration of α-tocopherol in meat (longissimus muscle). Lipid oxidation measured as TBARS, and antioxidative capacity (Fe2+/ascorbate induced) of meat were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the supplementation with vitamin E, and the pH1 and driploss was improved. Water soluble antioxidant calcium ascorbate, injected in meat, increased the concentration of calcium (P<0.05) and ascorbic acid (P<0.05), and stabilized the colour ("a" value; P<0.05) in chill-stored meat and improved (P<0.05) the antioxidative capacity (Fe2+/ascorbate induced). Further research is needed to optimise the dosage.