Method of improving animal tissue quality by supplementing the animal diet with oleic acid and selected tocols

Abstract

A novel method for improving the meat quality of an animal is provided. The method comprises feeding the animal a diet supplemented with oleic acid and selected tocols in amounts effective to improve the meat quality. The method may be practiced on non-ruminants and ruminants.

1 . A method of improving the tissue quality of an animal, comprising feeding the animal a diet comprising at least 3% total dietary oil with oleic acid comprising at least 50% of the fatty acid fraction of the oil and at least 50 ppm selected tocols.  
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein oleic acid comprises at least 70% of the fatty acid fraction.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the animal is fed the diet over a period of at least 20 days.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diet comprises a cereal grain crop or oilseed modified to have elevated levels of oleic acid or selected tocols.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the cereal grain crop is corn.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the corn expresses one or both of the FAD2 or HGGT genes for the high-oleic or high tocotrienol phenotypes respectively.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the animal is a non-ruminant.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the animal is poultry.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the diet is fed over a period of at least 30 days.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the animal is swine.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the tissue is meat and the quality of the meat is measured by criteria selected from the group consisting of increased pork belly lateral flex score, enhanced fatty acid profile, lower iodine value, improved color, decreased fresh meat discoloration, improved cooked meat flavor retention and improved oxidative stability.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the animal is a ruminant.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the diet is fed over a period of at least 50 days.  
   
   
       14  The method of  claim 12  wherein the animal is fed the diet for at least 100 days.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the animal is bovine.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the tissue is meat and the quality of the meat is measured by criteria selected from the group consisting of improved color, decreased fresh meat discoloration and improved oxidative stability.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diet comprises high-oleic vegetable oil.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the high-oleic vegetable oil is selected from the group consisting of corn oil, sunflower oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, cotton oil, safflower oil, cocoa oil, and canola oil.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the selected tocols comprises a mixture of tocotrienols.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the selected tocols comprises gamma-tocopherol.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diet comprises about 5% total dietary oil with oleic acid comprising at least 50% of the fatty acid fraction and about 225 ppm selected tocols.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein oleic acid comprises at least 70% of the fatty acid fraction.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diet comprises between 3% and 10% total dietary oil with oleic acid comprising at least 50% of the fatty acid fraction of the oil and at between 50 ppm and 500 ppm selected tocols.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the oleic acid comprises at least 80% of the fatty acid fraction of the oil.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein diet comprises between 3% and 10% total dietary oil with oleic acid comprising at least 70% of the fatty acid fraction of the oil and at between 150 ppm and 300 ppm selected tocols.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the diet comprises between 5% and 10% total dietary oil with oleic acid comprising at least 70% of the fatty acid fraction of the oil and about 225 ppm selected tocols.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the diet comprises an oil or fat having an iodine value comparable to or lower than high-oleic corn or sunflower oil.