Inclusion of flax oil in diet supplemented with or without tea polyphenol increased omega-3 fatty acids in blood serum, subcutaneous fat, and longissimus dorsi muscle of fattening pigs

An abstract of a study by He et al investigating the effect of including tea polyphenol (TP) and a sweetener, flax oil (FO), or both in the diet on body fatty acid profiles of fattening pigs is presented. In conclusion, inclusion of 2% FO in diets of fattening pigs significantly increased omega-3 fatty acids and reduced the n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratio, whereas inclusion of TP and sweetener didn't affect these fatty acids in either subcutaneous fat or longissimus dorsi muscle. Together with results from their concurrent studies on meat quality and antioxidative capacity, these studies indicated that inclusion of FO plus TP mixed with a sweetener to the diet of fattening pigs could improve both meat omega-3 fatty acid levels and antioxidative capacity.