Fatty acid signatures of duck breast meat from three varieties

Duck meat is increasingly valued for its distinctive sensory and nutritional properties. Breast muscle samples (pectoralis major and minor) were collected from three duck groups differing in genetic background and rearing system: intensively reared Pekin ducks (PD; n = 47), semi-extensively reared mallards for hunting purposes (MDH; n = 14), and wild mallards (WMD; n = 20), all with balanced sex representation. This study assessed the origin effect on fatty acid (FA) composition. WMD showed the most favorable lipid profile, with higher polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially n-3 PUFA and n-3 long-chain PUFA (LCPUFA), and superior lipid quality indices. MDH exhibited profiles dominated by saturated and monounsaturated FAs, reflecting enhanced de novo lipogenesis and lower nutritional quality, while PD displayed intermediate characteristics with generally balanced FAs but some nutritional limitations. FA variability was probably driven by dietary inputs and endogenous metabolic pathways, including differences in precursor availability and enzymatic activity in elongation and desaturation. Differences in muscle fiber composition and lipid partitioning between neutral and polar lipid fractions may also contribute to variations in FA profiles. Despite the presence of beneficial FAs such as eicosapentaenoic and docosapentaenoic acids (EPA and DHA, respectively), their absolute levels were low, indicating duck meat is not a major source of these nutrients. Nonetheless, WMD FA composition may positively contribute to dietary lipid intake within a balanced diet. Canonical discriminant analysis demonstrated that intramuscular FA profiles effectively differentiate duck meat varieties, achieving complete classification accuracy. These results highlight the utility of FA profiling as a reliable tool for authentication and differentiation in duck meat varieties.