Work

Fat profile in pork of growing pigs supplemented with virgin coconut oil waste coconut meal pellets

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The quality of pork products is influenced by the composition of meat and fat, which in turn is affected by the feed provided. This study aimed to evaluate the fat profile - specifically fat isolate content, cholesterol, and fatty acid levels (saturated and unsaturated) - in the meat of growing pigs fed with rations containing different levels of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) waste coconut meal. A completely randomized design was employed with three treatments: T1 (0% VCO waste), T2 (7.5%), and T3 (15%), each with eight replications. Twenty-four one-month-old pigs were housed in 12 cages (two per cage). Samples were taken from the abdominal and dorsal meat sections. Data were analyzed using the honest significant difference test. Results indicated that increasing VCO waste levels in the diet significantly affected fat isolate content and cholesterol levels in abdominal meat. T1 showed the lowest fat isolate content and cholesterol level, followed by T2 and T3, with significant differences among them (P<0.05). In terms of saturated fatty acids, T1 and T2 were similar but both were significantly different from T3. No significant differences (P>0.05) were found in unsaturated fatty acids across treatments. In dorsal meat, VCO waste inclusion also influenced fat isolate, cholesterol, and fatty acid composition. T1 had significantly lower fat isolate content and unsaturated fatty acids than T2 and T3. Cholesterol levels increased significantly from T1 to T3, though the increase in saturated fatty acids was only significant between T1 and T3. Overall, dietary supplementation with VCO waste coconut meal modified the pork fat profile. It increased abdominal fat isolate content by 44.85%, reduced cholesterol by 1.87%, and enhanced the proportion of unsaturated over saturated fatty acids. Although cholesterol in dorsal meat rose slightly (2.78%), the overall fatty acid profile improved. These findings suggest that VCO waste coconut meal is a viable feed ingredient for improving pork quality through modulation of fat composition.

Source: Food Research

DOI: 10.26656/fr.2017.9(4).016

Authors: B. Bagau, M.R. Imbar, D.R.I. Lumenta

Language: English

Topic: Meat and Animal Product Quality

Subfield: Animal Science and Zoology

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDGs: Zero hunger, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $100

Funder: Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi