Meat Quality and Fatty Acid Profile of Rams Fed Diets Enriched with Vegetable Oils of Varying Unsaturation Levels

Antioxidant feed additives, such as cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), rich in phenolic compounds, have gained attention for improving animal production and meat quality. The study evaluated the dietary effects of blending CNSL (0.5%) with different vegetable oils (1.5%) varying in unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) profiles on the meat quality and fatty acid composition of muttons. Forty Santa Inês × Dorper crossbred rams (24.44 ± 1.5 kg) were allocated to five treatments for 70 days: CNSL combined with canola (MUFA-rich) compared to corn, soybean, sunflower, or cottonseed oils (PUFA-rich). The CNSL + canola blend improved meat quality, showing higher water-holding capacity and tenderness and lower cooking loss than CNSL + PUFA-rich oils (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Meat yellowness (b*) increased with CNSL + soybean or cottonseed blend. Meat proximate composition was unaffected (<i>p</i> > 0.05). Minor variations in specific fatty acids were observed, including higher C14:0 and C16:1 in canola and cottonseed + CNSL blend groups and greater EPA (C20:5 n-3) with soybean oil + CNSL blend (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The ∑n-6:∑n-3 ratio was highest with cottonseed and lowest with soybean oil (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Overall, combining CNSL with MUFA-rich oils, particularly canola, compared to PUFA oils, enhances meat quality while supporting the sustainable use of CNSL in ram diets.