Effects on production performance and fatty acids composition of longissimus muscle of feeding dried deoiled Satureja khuzistanica in Farahani finishing lambs

Our objective was to determine the effect of inclusion of dried de-oiled savory (Satureja khuzistanica; DDS) on production performance and fatty acids composition of longissimus muscle (LM) of finishing lambs. Thirty Farhani lambs with average body weight of 33. 6±1. 4 kg were used. The lambs were randomly divided into five groups and individually fed with the experimental diets. In the experimental diets، alfalfa was replaced by dried de-oiled savory at the levels of 0 (control diet)، 25، 50، 75 and 100 percent. The lambs were finished for 60 days with a 15-day adaptation period. During the finishing periods the lambs were weighed individually every 15 days and average daily gain، average feed consumption and feed conversion ratio were determined. At the end of experiment، the lambs were slaughtered. Samples of LM along with subcutaneous fat were taken from the region of twelfth and thirteenth ribs post-mortem and their fatty acids profile were determined by gas chromatography. The results of current study showed that the experimental diets had no effect on production parameters of lambs assessed (P>0. 05). Saturated fatty acids content of LM was higher in the lambs fed with diets in which alfalfa was replaced by DDS at the level of 25 percent than those fed with diets in which alfalfa fully replaced by DDS (P<0. 05). The lambs fed on diets in which alfalfa was replaced by DDS at the levels higher than 25 percent had numerically higher saturated fatty acids in their LM compared to control diet-fed lambs. The results showed that dietary inclusion of DDS at the level of 75 percent instead of alfalfa numerically increased poly-unsaturated fatty acids content of LM. Dietary replacement of alfalfa with DDS at the levels of 25 to 75 percent numerically lowered the proportion of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids of LM compared to the control diet.