Evolution of the composition in fatty acids of the dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue from Alentejano pigs fed on pasture and acorns

Abstract

The present work studied the evolution of fatty acid composition in the dorsal subcutaneous fat of free-range Alentejano pigs fed on pasture and acorns. Twenty pigs with a body weight (BW) of ~90 kg were placed in a 2 ha pasture (Lolium westerwoldium and Trifolium incarnatum) and fed daily with 4 kg of acorns. Animals were submitted to biopsies near tail insertion with ~90, ~100, and at slaughter, ~110 kg BW. The fat samples obtained were analysed by GC/FID to determine the fatty acid composition. An increase of only 20 kg body mass based on pasture and acorn consumption led to: (i) carcasses with C18:1 content similar to the minimal value stipulated by market demands for Alentejano pigs bred in free-range conditions; and (ii) contents of C16:0 and C18:0 were within the limits for the carcass-quality assessment. Nevertheless, the contents in C18:2 remained slightly above the 9.8% limit.