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The oleuropein extract, betaine, magnesium and α-tocopheryl acetate show antioxidant and/or metabolic effects on the organism that are reflected in meat quality. However, the combination of these nutrients has not been evaluated. This study evaluated the effect of the dietary combination of oleuropein extract and betaine, magnesium oxide, and α-tocopheryl acetate, on pigs' performance, oxidative status, and meat quality characteristics. A total 117 pigs (body weight 86.97 ± 4.86 kg) were randomly allocated to 12 pens and allotted into 3 dietary treatments consisting of: control= Basal diet; basal diet with additives of 1200 mg/kg oleuropein extract, 400 mg/kg α-tocopheryl acetate, 600 mg/kg magnesium oxide, and 1000 mg/kg betaine for the high-dose diet; and basal diet with half-dose of each of the compounds for the low-dose diet. Pigs were fed with the experimental diets and were slaughtered at 120 kg of body weight. In addition to pigs’ performance data and blood samples, for evaluated carcass quality, drip loss, the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, color changes and fatty acid profile of intramuscular fat was measured.
The results showed that performance, carcass yield, percentage of drip loss, moisture content, intramuscular fat, or texture parameters were not modified by dietary treatments. The high dose diet tends to have lower serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances when compared to control. Pigs supplemented with the high dose diet had higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-6, n-3 and lower monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the neutral lipid fraction of intramuscular fat. Free PUFA, mainly n-3 fatty acids, were also higher in the meat of pigs fed the high-dose mixture compared with the others. A higher mobilization of n-3 and MUFA fatty acids was observed in the muscle from pigs fed the high dose diet. However, dietary mixture supplementation tended to increase MUFA and decrease the total PUFA proportions in muscle polar lipids. This specific fatty acid composition of meat from pigs supplemented with the high-dose mixture could be responsible for the higher meat lipid oxidation observed in this group when compared to the other groups.
Consequently, the low-dose mixture would be more adequate for maintaining the oxidative status of pigs and, meat lipid stability.
Rey AI, Puig P, Cardozo PW, Hechavarría T. Supplementation effect of oleuropein extract combined with betaine, magnesium, and vitamin E on pigs’ performance and meat quality characteristics. Animals. 2021; 11(2): 443. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020443