Quality characteristics of goat meat as influenced by condensed tannins-containing pine bark

Twenty-four Kiko crossbred (8 mo. old, BW = 39.7 ± 2.55 kg) male goats were used to determine the effect of pine bark (PB; Pinus taeda L.) on the chemical composition and quality characteristics of goat meat (chevon). Meat goats were grazed in a winter rye grass-dominant pasture and randomly assigned to either bermudagrass (BG) hay or pine bark (PB) supplementation (n = 12 goats/supplementation) for 55 d. Each supplement consisted of alfalfa pellet, molasses, and mineral mixtures with either BG or PB, provided at 1.5% of BW at individual feeding stations. Longissimus muscle (LM; intramuscular fat) from loin cuts as well as subcutaneous and kidney fats were obtained from each goat carcass for determination of chemical and fatty acid compositions. The loin chops from each carcass were also used to evaluate the quality of chevon. There were no differences (P > 0.05) found in the average daily weight gain (ADG) and final weight of goats from the two different supplementation groups. The LM pH of goats was not significantly different between the supplementation groups. No significant differences were found in the CIE L* (lightness) and b* (yellowness) values of loin chops from goats supplemented either BG or PB. However, the CIE a* (redness) values of chops from goats fed BG supplement were higher (P < 0.05) than those from goats fed PB supplement. No differences (P > 0.05) were found in the proximate composition and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values of LM from goats fed the two different supplements. Furthermore, no significant differences were also found in the Warner-Bratzler shear values and cooking losses of loin chops from goats supplemented either BG or PB. Compared with goats supplemented with BG, goats supplemented with PB had lower (P < 0.05) concentrations of margaric (C17:0), margaroleic (C17:1n9), and conjugated linoleic (C18:2, CLA) acids in intramuscular fats; a higher (P < 0.05) concentration of eicosapentaenoic (C20:5n3) acid in subcutaneous and kidney fats. The results indicated that a diet containing PB such as wood derived CT might not substantially impact the basic nutrient, quality property and fatty acid profile of chevon.