Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the relationships between intramuscular fat, cholesterol contents and fatty acid composition in the muscles of different animal species. Intramuscular fat, cholesterol and fatty acid composition in 207 muscle samples from 129 animals of different species (pigs, beef cattle, farmed red deer, horses and geese) were determined and analysed. The obtained results indicated unequal relations between intramuscular fat and cholesterol contents and fatty acid proportions in the muscles of different animal species. The increase of intramuscular fat content resulted in higher monounsaturated and lower polyunsaturated fatty acid contents in most muscles of meat producing animals. In all the species higher fatness did not show any increase in cholesterol content and also cholesterol contents were lower as fat increased in m. semimembranosus of pigs and m. pectoralis profundus of horses. The cholesterol content positively correlated with saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in the longissimus muscle with the lowest fat content found in red deer and beef cattle, whereas the correlations between these measures were negative in m. pectoralis profundus of horses and the breast of goose containing high fat levels. Negative correlations between polyunsaturated fatty acids and cholesterol content were found in the longissimus muscle of red deer and cattle, whereas these correlations in goose breast and horse meat were positive.