Lipid characteristics associated with oxidative and glycolytic fibres in rabbit muscles

The purpose of this study was to specify the intramuscular lipid characteristics which are related to the metabolic type of muscles. Two glycolytic muscles (Longissimus lumborum and Psoas major), two oxidative ones (Soleus and Semimembranosus propriosus) and an intermediate one (Gastrocnemius laterale) were dissected from rabbit carcasses. The results showed that. (a) The glycolytic muscles contain less total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol than the oxidative ones. (b) Phospholipid content, cardiolipin and PE proportions were lower and PI proportion was higher in the glycolytic muscles than in the oxidative ones. (c) The phospholipids of the glycolytic muscles contain more 16:0 and 18:2 n-6 but less 18:0 and long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (20:4 n-6, 22:5 n-6 and n-3) than those of the oxidative muscles. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd