Comparison of the fatty acid composition of five different fat tissues in Swedish Landrace pig

Abstract

Fat is one of the most important edible products derived from slaughtered pigs and its fatty acid composition depends, among others, on the location in the carcass. The main objective of the present study was to compare the fatty acid composition of the five different fat tissues (taken from the lard, subcutaneous fat from back area, intramuscular fat from M. Longissimus dorsi, intermuscular fat from round and subcutaneous fat from belly region) in Swedish Landrace pig breed. A significantly higher share of total polyunsaturated fatty acid content was found in intermuscular fat (especially higher share of linoleic (18:2 n6) and γ-linolenic (18:3 n-3) acid), compared to other fat depots (p<0.05). Total saturated fatty acid content was highest in lard fat, mainly due to a higher share of stearic acid (18:0). The highest share of total n-6 fatty acids was found in intermuscular fat, while intramuscular fat had the highest n-6/n-3 ratio (which is inconsistent with the nutritional recommendable values). Subcutaneous fat from back and belly region had similar content of major fatty acids. The obtained data confirm that the various pig adipose tissues are different in their fatty acid composition.