The Development of a Fatty Acid Profile and Determination of Melting Point in Subcutaneous fat of Ultra White Ram Lambs

Austin Smith

Sheep production is often based on what can been seen from the outside, but what lies under the skin is equally important. Producers are continually working to improve production which has led to development of new sheep breeds, such as the UltraWhite. Due to the juvenile nature of this breed, the producer is interested in understanding the composition of the subcutaneous fat in his breed. Therefore, this investigation is examining the fatty acid composition and melting point of subcutaneous fat in UltraWhite ram lambs. Live biopsy samples were removed from the subcutaneous fat beside the tailhead and analysed using Gas Chromatography and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Subcutaneous fat from UltraWhite ram lambs contained higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) than saturated fatty acids (SFA) at 63.7% to 31.9% respectively. The major SFA presented was palmitic acid C16:0 at 3626.4 mg/100g at 22.8% of total fatty acids. These lambs displayed significant low concentrations of stearic acid C18:0 at 1007.3 mg/100g, contributing to only 6.3% of total fatty acids. In comparison, the primary MUFA present was oleic acid C18:1 at 8845.0 mg/100g, contributing to 55.5% of total fatty acids and representing the most abundant subcutaneous fatty acid in UltraWhite ram lambs. Subcutaneous fat contained a desirable polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) linoleic acid C18:2n6/α-linoleic acid C18:3n3 ratio of 3.47 ± 1.07. In combination with the low degree of saturation, UltraWhite ram lambs returned a considerably low onset melting point of -22.4°C and peak melting point of -2.5°C. In comparison to the fatty acid composition of traditional sheep breeds and additional data from suckler lambs sampled post-mortem, UltraWhite ram lambs contained a lower degree of saturation and higher concentrations of MUFAs in their subcutaneous fat. These findings provide the producer an understanding of the subcutaneous fat composition in the UltraWhite and assist in the further development of the breed. In addition, the lower saturation and melting point of the UltraWhite breed has the potential to positively impact eating quality providing opportunities for future research.

The Development of a Fatty Acid Profile and Determination of Melting Point in Subcutaneous fat of Ultra White Ram Lambs

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