Effect of copaíba essential oil (Copaifera officinalis L.) as a natural preservative on the oxidation and shelf life of sheep burgers.

We evaluated the effects of the inclusion of copaíba (Copaifera officinalis L.) essential oil at 0.05 and 0.1% as a possible replacement of synthetic additive butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) in sheep burgers during 14 days of storage in a refrigerated display case (4°C). During the shelf life days, analyzes of antioxidant activity, lipid oxidation, pH, color, cooking loss, texture and consumer acceptability were carried out on refrigerated burgers. The addition of copaíba essential oil showed an antioxidant effect in sheep burgers (P > 0.05), reducing lipid oxidation. Copaiba essential oil added at 0.05% showed the highest antioxidant activity, decreased cooking losses and delaying discoloration (loss of redness) during storage; it further improved, the tenderness of sheep burgers (P < 0.05). The treatments had no effect (P > 0.05) on consumer acceptability. Copaiba essential oil is a promising natural antioxidant to increase the shelf life of meat products, as well as being a viable solution to replace synthetic antioxidant BHT, thereby promoting the fresh-like quality appeal of sheep burgers.

Discrimination study between the carcass and noncarcass components for interaction between gender, age, and production system in indigenous sheep / Estudo de discriminação entre os componentes da carcaça e não da carcaça para interação entre gênero, idade e sistema de produção em ovinos indígenas

The objective of this work was to evaluate the yields, morphometric measures, carcass, and non-carcass components, and carcass regional and tissue composition of an indigenous sheep (Pantaneiro) of different physiological stages (gender, age, system production. Thirty sheep, eleven lambs, nine wethers, and ten cull ewes were used. The lambs were finished in feedlots, the wethers were maintained on pastures and supplementation, and the cull ewes were maintained on an extensive pasture system with mineral salt ad libitum. Slaughter ages were defined to simulate the most representative products and farming systems. Animals were slaughtered and classified as non- castrated lambs, wethers, and cull ewes. The criteria to slaughter lambs and wethers were the body condition, which ranged from 2.5 to 3.0. Cull ewes were slaughtered based on negative pregnancy diagnosis, regardless of their body condition, which ranged from 4.0 to 4.5. All animals were slaughtered after 16-hours of fasting (solids). The ewes presented the greatest fat thickness, differing significantly from the lambs. The morphometric measures were higher in ewes and lambs. The muscle to fat ratio of the animal's cuts from different physiological stages presented no significant differences. The indigenous Pantaneiro sheep have good potential for meat production regardless of their physiological stages. The ewes stood out, presenting carcasses with good performance considering their potential and longer permanence in the herd due to their reproductive function.(AU)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o rendimento, medidas morfométricas, componentes da carcaça e da não carcaça e a composição regional e tecidual da carcaça de ovelhas indígenas (Pantaneiro) de diferentes sistemas de produção, sexo e idade. Foram utilizadas trinta ovelhas, onze cordeiros, nove borregos e dez ovelhas de descarte. Os cordeiros foram terminados em confinamento, os borregos mantidos em pastagem e suplementação, e as ovelhas de descarte mantidas em sistema a pasto extensivo com sal mineral ad libitum. As idades ao abate foram definidas para simular os produtos e sistemas agrícolas mais representativos, cordeiros, borregos e ovelhas de descarte. Os animais foram abatidos e classificados como cordeiros não castrados, borregos e ovelhas de descarte. Os critérios para abate de cordeiros e borregos foram a condição corporal, que variou de 2,5 a 3,0. As ovelhas de descarte foram abatidas com base no diagnóstico de gestação negativo, independentemente da condição corporal, que variou de 4,0 a 4,5. Todos os animais foram abatidos após jejum de 16 horas (sólidos). As ovelhas apresentaram as maiores espessuras de gordura, diferindo significativamente dos cordeiros. As medidas morfométricas foram maiores em ovelhas e cordeiros. A relação músculo / gordura dos cortes dos animais nas diferentes fases fisiológicas não apresentou diferenças significativas. Os ovinos pantaneiros apresentam bom potencial para produção de carne, independentemente de seus estágios fisiológicos. As ovelhas se destacaram, apresentando carcaças com bom desempenho considerando seu potencial e maior permanência no rebanho devido à sua função reprodutiva.(AU)

Different physiological stages and breeding systems related to the variability of meat quality of indigenous Pantaneiro sheep.

This study configures a first report regarding the variability of meat quality of locally adapted Pantaneiro sheep depending on different physiological stages and breeding systems. Pantaneiro sheep are raised in Brazil under a tropical wetland ecosystem denominated Pantanal. Twenty-nine Pantaneiro sheep from different sex and physiological stages were sorted into three groups, simulating three of the most representative ovine meat products commercialized by South American industries: a) non castrated male lambs (n = 11); b) wethers (n = 9); c) cull ewes (n = 9). Animals from each physiological stage were submitted to different breeding systems, resembling farming strategies adopted in several developing countries of South America. The effect of physiological stages on the quality of meat was accessed using 16 variables measured in the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LM) and the semimembranosus (SM) muscles. The variables were related to brightness, color, physical aspects, soluble and total collagen as well as chemical traits. The physiological stage was defined as a classification variable in order to proceed ANOVA tests and comparison of means (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis was used to identify patterns of similarity and differentiation between samples of different physiological stages (a, b, c). The results revealed that meat quality varies according to different physiological stages, especially between lambs (a) and cull ewes (c). As a consequence, the physiological stage at slaughter should be taken into consideration to cote the quality of meat from indigenous sheep raised in tropical regions. The results contribute towards sensorial evaluation and the characterization of potential food products derived from indigenous sheep bred under tropical climate in developing countries.