Effects of Vitamin E by dietary supplementation and of Calcium Ascorbate by post mortem Injection in Muscle on the Antioxidative status and on Meat quality of Pigs

Abstract. The effects of addition of vitamin E to pig diet and of calcium ascorbate injection in meat on the antioxidative status and meat quality (longissimus muscle) of pigs were investigated. The treatment consisted of supplementation with vitamin E (500 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg diet) for a minimum of 30 days to growing-finishing pigs before slaughter. Furthermore, meat samples (longissimus muscle) were injected with 10% by weight of a 1.5% calcium ascorbate solution. The dietary supplementation of fat soluble antioxidant vitamin E significantly (P<0.05) increased the concentration of α-tocopherol in meat (longissimus muscle). Lipid oxidation measured as TBARS, and antioxidative capacity (Fe²⁺/ascorbate induced) of meat were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the supplementation with vitamin E, and the pH₁ and driploss was improved. Water soluble antioxidant calcium ascorbate, injected in meat, increased the concentration of calcium (P<0.05) and ascorbic acid (P<0.05), and stabilized the colour ("a" value; P<0.05) in chill-stored meat and improved (P<0.05) the antioxidative capacity (Fe²⁺/ascorbate induced). Further research is needed to optimise the dosage.