The effect of dietary vitamin E supplementation on quality aspects of porcine muscles

The effect of dietary a-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on the uptake of α-tocopherol, its distribution within muscle and its effect on the oxidative and colour stabilities of M. longissimus dorsi and M. gluteobiceps was investigated. Pigs (n = 6), selected at random, were divided into two groups (n = 3), one of which was fed a basal diet, containing 20 mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed and the other, a supplemented diet containing 160 mg dl-α-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed, for 130 days prior to slaughter. The mean α-tocopherol levels in the muscles of pigs fed the supplemented diet were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than those fed the basal diet. M. gluteobiceps from the supplemented group had significantly (P < 0.05) higher levels of α-tocopherol than the M. longissimus dorsi. Both muscles from the supplemented group were significantly (P < 0.05) more stable to oxidative deterioration than the muscles from the basal group. Hunter 'a' values for the muscles of the supplemented group were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than for the basal group after 7 days (under fluorescent light) at 4 °C. Metmyoglobin formation occurred at a greater rate in muscles from the basal group compared with the supplemented group.