Masters Degrees (Animal Sciences)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Animal Sciences) by browse.metadata.advisor "Cawthorn, D. M."

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    Yield and meat quality attributes of wild fallow deer (Dama Dama) in South Africa
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-03) Fitzhenry, Leon Brett; Hoffman, Louwrens C.; Cawthorn, D. M.; Muchenje, V.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Agrisciences. Dept. of Animal Sciences.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Fallow deer (Dama dama), although not native to South Africa, are abundant in the country and could contribute to domestic food security and economic stability. Nonetheless, this wild ungulate remains overlooked as a protein source and no information exists on their production potential and meat quality in South Africa. The aim of this study was thus to determine the carcass characteristics, meat- and offal-yields, and the physical- and chemical-meat quality attributes of wild fallow deer harvested in South Africa. Gender was considered as a main effect when determining carcass characteristics and yields, while both gender and muscle were considered as main effects in the determination of physical and chemical meat quality attributes. Live weights, warm carcass weights and cold carcass weights were higher (p < 0.05) in male fallow deer (47.4 kg, 29.6 kg, 29.2 kg, respectively) compared with females (41.9 kg, 25.2 kg, 24.7 kg, respectively), as well as in pregnant females (47.5 kg, 28.7 kg, 28.2 kg, respectively) compared with non-pregnant females (32.5 kg, 19.7 kg, 19.3 kg, respectively). Accordingly, dress-out percentages were higher (p < 0.05) in males (61.5%) than females (59.0%). Total consumable offal (excluding stomach and intestines) comprised ca. 9% of the fallow deer live weights, although gender and pregnancy influenced (p < 0.05) some individual organ weights and yields. The weights of seven muscles (longissimus thoracis et lumborum [LTL], infraspinatus [IS], supraspinatus [SS], biceps femoris, [BF], semimembranosis [SM], semitendinosus [ST] and psoas major [PM]) did not differ (p > 0.05) with gender, with the LTL and BF being the heaviest. Total meat and bone weights were higher (p < 0.05) for males (20.4 kg and 9.1 kg, respectively) than for females (16.0 kg and 6.9 kg, respectively), but no gender differences were found for the meat-to-bone ratios (2.2–2.3). Physical meat quality measurements and proximate analyses were conducted on six different muscles (LTL, BF, SM, ST, IS and SS) from male (n = 6) and female (n = 6) fallow deer. Ultimate pH (pHu), drip loss, cooking loss and shear force values were influenced (p < 0.05) by muscle, but not by gender. Mean pHu readings ranged from 5.4 to 5.6 in the six muscles, while drip loss, cooking loss and shear force values ranged from 1.3–1.6%, 29.4–36.1% and 31.3–61.9 N, respectively. In terms of colour, the fallow deer muscles were characterised by L* < 40, high a* and low b* values, being in line with the values generally desired by venison meat consumers. Muscle, however, had an effect (p < 0.05) on all the measured colour parameters (L*, a*, b*, chroma, hue-angle), whereas gender only influenced (p < 0.05) the a* and chroma values in certain muscles. The proximate composition of the six fallow deer muscles ranged from 73.3–76.2% moisture, 20.4–23.1% protein, 2.2–3.2% lipid and 1.1–1.5% ash. The concentrations of all the proximate components were influenced (p < 0.05) by muscle, but not by gender. Fatty acid (FA) and mineral analyses were conducted on two fallow deer muscles, namely the LTL and BF. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were found to be the major class of FAs in the muscles (ca. 13.57 mg/g meat), followed by saturated FAs (SFAs; ca. 10.20 mg/g meat) and monounsaturated FAs (MUFAs; ca. 6.46 mg/g meat). Linoleic acid (C18:2n6) and arachidonic acid (C20:4n6) made up the largest proportions of the PUFAs, while stearic acid (C18:0) and palmitic acid (C16:0) were the main SFAs measured. Nonetheless, the PUFA content was influenced (p < 0.05) by muscle (BF > LTL), the MUFA content was influenced (p < 0.05) by gender (female > male), and a significant (p < 0.05) muscle  gender interaction was observed for the SFAs. Overall, the fallow deer muscles had favourable PUFA/SFA ratios (> 0.4) and omega-6/omega-3 (< 4) ratios and could thus be considered as healthy lipid sources. The main essential macro-minerals measured in the LTL and BF were potassium, phosphorus, sodium and magnesium, while iron, zinc and copper represented the primary micro-minerals. The mineral concentrations appeared to be influenced more by muscle than by gender. This study represents the first attempt to quantify the yields and meat quality attributes of wild fallow deer in South Africa, the results of which should lay a foundation for the enhanced utilisation, promotion and consumer acceptance of the derived products.