Effect of dietary lycopene supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid profile and meat lipid oxidation in lambs in summer conditions

• The dietary lycopene supplementation had a little improvement in the growth of Bamei lambs.
• The muscular development, as indicated by tissue depth, showed a increase pattern in lycopene-supplemented groups.
• Dietary lycopene tended to make the meat darker and redder as indicated by lower lightness and hue angle values at 24 h.
• Lycopene supplement declined the muscle fat content and lipid oxidation, while increased the polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The focus of this study was to investigate the effect of lycopene as an antioxidant supplement on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid profile and meat lipid oxidation in lambs. Twenty-eight weaned (90 days old) Bamei lambs were equally allotted to four dietary treatments and fed basal diet alone (Control) or basal diet supplemented with 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg of lycopene from tomato extracts. After 120 days of feeding, the lycopene-supplemented groups showed a greater dry matter intake (P < 0.05) than the control and tended to increase the average daily gain (P = 0.068); the tissue depth (GR values) increased after administration of lycopene (P < 0.05). Dietary lycopene tended to make the meat darker and redder as indicated by lower lightness (P < 0.05) and hue angle values (P < 0.05) at 24 h. Muscle fat content and lipid oxidation declined in the lycopene-supplemented groups (P < 0.05), while polyunsaturated fatty acids increased compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In general, dietary lycopene supplementation in the diet improved the growth of lambs and produced meat of lower fat and higher polyunsaturated fatty acid contents.