The effects of dietary vitamin E (VE, α-
tocopherol acetate) and fat supplementation on growth
and carcass quality characteristics, oxidative stability
of fresh and cooked pork patty in storage, fatty acid
profiles of muscle and adipose tissue, andVE concentrations
of plasma, muscle, and adipose tissue were studied.
Six hundred pigs were allocated to 1 of 6 diets and
fed for 63 d in a 3 × 2 factorial design. The dietary
treatments included 3 fat levels (normal corn, high oil
corn, high oil corn plus added beef tallow) and 2 levels
of VE supplementation (40 IU/kg, normal VE supplementation;
and 200 IU/kg, high VE supplementation).
At 113 kg of BW, 54 pigs were slaughtered as a subsample
to evaluate dietary effects on pork quality. Growth
performance and meat quality characteristics did not
differ (P > 0.05) among treatment groups. The high level of VE supplementation had a beneficial effect on the
oxidative stability of pork as indicated by thiobarbituric
acid reactive substance (TBARS) values. Lean tissue
had lower (P < 0.05) TBARS in the group fed the high
VE than in those fed the normal VE level. The TBARS
values differed among storage periods (0 to 6 d) and
also between fresh and cooked ground ham. Fat type did
not significantly affect total saturated and unsaturated
fatty acids proportions in the neutral and polar fraction
of muscle. Adding VE acetate led to greater (P < 0.05)
monounsaturated and total unsaturated fatty acid proportions
in neutral lipids of muscle and adipose tissues.
Increasing dietary levels of VE acetate increased the
concentration of VE in plasma and muscle. These results
indicate that dietary VE acetate supplementation
increased (P < 0.05) lipid stability and theVEconcentration
of muscle.