Effects of timing of shipment on composition of meat from captured female wild Yeso sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis)

Abstract

Wild female Yeso sika deer (more than 2 years old), captured around Lake Akan in Hokkaido during winter, were fed for 1-9 months. Three deer each were slaughtered in October and December 2007, respectively, and 4 deer each in April and October 2010, respectively. Chemical compositions, mineral contents, amino acid contents, and fatty acid compositions of loin, brisket, and round were analyzed. The crude fat content of loin significantly increased in December (P＜0.05) and the crude protein content tended to decrease. Mineral contents did not change significantly. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead were not detected. The crude protein content of loin significantly decreased in October (P＜0.05), but crude fat contents were not different. Regarding minerals, sulfur, magnesium, and copper contents decreased significantly (P＜0.05) in October compared to those of April. The iron content tended to increase in October. Concerning amino acids, all contents tended to be lower in October than those of April. In the case of fatty acids, stearic acid, palmitic acid, and oleic acid were mainly contained in the meat. Myristic acid increased significantly (P＜0.05) and stearic acid decreased in October (P＜0.05) compared to April. From these results, nutrients in meat were influenced by the timing of shipment.