THE EFFECT OF COCONUT OIL INTAKE ON THE MEAT FATTY ACID PROFILE OF PIGS

Abstract

The article deals with the effect of adding coconut oil to the diet of heavy pigs on the concentration of fatty acids in leg meat, back fat, and liver. Lauric acid has several positive effects on the consumer. However, the concentration of this fatty acid in pig meat is very low or absent. Coconut oil, which contains a high concentration of lauric acid, was added to the pigs´ diet (30 g per head per day) for 18 days before slaughtering. This dietary intervention increased the concentration of lauric acid in leg meat and back fat but had no effect on the lauric acid concentration in pig liver. Concentrations of margaric and arachidic acids in leg meat, oleic, arachidic, and sum of mono-unsaturated fatty acids in back fat, palmitoleic and sum of saturated fatty acids in pig liver were affected by the addition of coconut oil to the diet of pigs. The monounsaturation index C18:1/C18:0 in leg meat was higher in the coconut oil group. The intake of small amounts of coconut oil affected the concentration of some fatty acids and increased the concentration of lauric acid in the leg meat and back fat of pigs.