Fatty acid composition of llama muscle and internal fat in two Argentinian herds

Coronary heart disease and a number of other diseases have been shown to increase with consumption of foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol. However, increased consumption of n − 3 fatty acids reduces the incidence of these diseases. Llama meat has been reported as having a lower fat content, lower saturated fat content, and a higher n− 3 fatty acid content than beef, and hence may serve as a more healthy alternative of animal protein. To assess these claims a study was undertaken in Argentina in which llama meat from two farms was analyzed to determine its composition. On average the lama meat had lower cholesterol (52.8 vs 67 mg/100 g) and fat (12.6 vs 20.6%) content than that reported for beef. The muscle fat of castrated males was lower in saturated fatty acids (42.6 vs 45.7%) and cholesterol (44.1 vs 63.7%), and higher in n− 3 fatty acids (1.2 vs 1.0%) than non-castrated males. As castration appears to substantially improve llama meat quality, additional studies to confirm this appear warranted. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.