Abstract: [Objective] To assess the effect of early weaning on contents of amino acids and fatty acids in longissimus dorsi of Tibet cashmere goats. [Method] A total of 18 healthy goat lambs were randomly divided into two groups according to the principle of weight similarity. The lambs in the early weaning group were weaned on the 28 days of age, and those in the normal weaning group were weaned on the 60 days of age. All of the lambs were fed with the same milk replacer until the 75 days of age after weaning. Five lambs were randomly selected and slaughtered from each group for sampling, and then the indicators of amino acids and fatty acids in longissimus dorsi were determined and statistically analyzed. [Result] A total of 17 kinds of amino acids were found in longissimus dorsi of Tibet cashmere goats, including 7 kinds of essential amino acids such as lysine and leucine, and 10 kinds of non-essential amino acids such as aspartic acid and arginine. There were no significant （P>0.05） differences in contents of total amino acids, essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids between the early weaning group and the normal weaning group, while the EAA/TAA and EAA/NEAA in the early weaning group were significantly （P<0.05） higher than those in the normal weaning group. A total of 29 kinds of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were detected, among which, the contents of palmitic acid and oleic acid were the highest. No significant （P>0.05） differences in contents of saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids between the early weaning group and the normal weaning group were observed. [Conclusion] The meat of Tibet cashmere goat lamb has good performance in composition and contents of amino acids and fatty acids. Early weaning and early supplementation of pellet feed have no effects on contents of amino acids and fatty acids in lamb meat, and can increase the value of EAA/TAA and EAA/NEAA, making it more consistent with the FAO/WHO amino acid scoring pattern. This study may provide references for applying early weaning in Tibet cashmere goat lamb and improving reproductive rate of the ewes.

Key words: Tibet cashmere goat, early weaning, fatty acid, amino acid, longissimus dorsi