Characteristics of Garut Lamb Fed Ration Containing Sunflower Seed Oil

Abstract

Sunflower seed oil (SSO) is a source of essential fatty acid, linoleic fatty acid, known has a good effect on reproductive performance, but the information about its effect on lamb quality of local sheep is still limited. This research was conducted to evaluate effect of SSO as a source of linoleic fatty acid in ration on local lamb characteristics. Six male Garut sheep about 2 mo old were devided into 3 group of ration treatments: without SSO (control), SSO 4%, and SSO 6%, with each two replications. The study was arranged in complete random design and analysed descriptively. After 3 mo feeding treatment, physical (water holding capacity, tenderness, and cooking losses) and chemical (pH, moisture, fat content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances/TBARS value) characteristics of lamb samples were analyzed. The result showed that the pH value and water holding capacity (WHC) of lamb fed ration containing SSO were higher than control. On the contrary, SSO treatment resulted in lower cooking loss than control without effect on tenderness of lamb. The SSO treatments in this research didn’t result in high potency rancidity on lamb indicated by low TBARS values. In conclusion, the use of 4% and 6% of SSO on ration give a good effect on lamb characteristics with low rancidity potency