Resumen

SEOANE, N.F. et al. Mulinum spinosum and lamb meat: detecting its presence on live sheep. Arch. zootec. [online]. 2011, vol.60, n.230, pp.283-292. ISSN 1885-4494.  https://dx.doi.org/10.4321/S0004-05922011000200013.

In Patagonia, sheep farming constitutes one of the major economic activities, but the quality of lamb meat is seriously affected by a disagreeable taste found in its tissues, derived from the ovine intake of neneo (Mulinum spinosum (Cav.) Persoon, Apiaceae), predominant in grazing lands easily accessed by sheep during the warm seasons. With the aim of detecting the affected animals before their slaughter, phytochemical testing techniques were applied on different organs of the plant and animal accordingly, in order to identify matches. We studied two groups (one had neneo in their diet while the other did not) of six animals each, of which were extracted samples of meat, fat, liver, urine and blood. The compounds responsible for the effect of neneo belong to the terpene/sterol group, the only present in the flowers of neneo as in the urine of lambs. Various animal tissues were inadequate to detect the presence of neneo in lambs, only urine has been identified as the most suitable to examine the metabolites. A protocol, to experiment with it, was proposed, with the aim of generate a useful tool for the development of low-cost technologies. This protocol is available to researchers and producers to put to the test, with the aim of detecting a disagreeable taste in the animals before their slaughter and avoiding the consequent economic loss.

Palabras clave : Plant-herbivore interactions; Terpenes; Meat quality; Patagonian lamb.

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