Abstract
A comprehensive review of the impact of tropical pasture grazing, nutritional supplementation during feedlot finishing and fat metabolism-related genes on beef cattle performance and meat-eating traits is presented. Grazing beef cattle on low quality tropical forages with less than 5.6% crude protein, 10% soluble starches and 55% digestibility experience liveweight loss. However, backgrounding beef cattle on high quality leguminous forages and feedlot finishing on high-energy diets increase meat flavour, tenderness and juiciness due to improved intramuscular fat deposition and enhanced mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This paper also reviews the roles of stearoyl-CoA desaturase, fatty acid binding protein 4 and fatty acid synthase genes and correlations with meat traits. The review argues that backgrounding of beef cattle on Desmanthus, an environmentally well-adapted and vigorous tropical legume that can persistently survive under harsh tropical and subtropical conditions, has the potential to improve animal performance. It also identifies existing knowledge gaps and research opportunities in nutrition-genetics interactions aimed at a greater understanding of grazing nutrition, feedlot finishing performance, and carcass traits of northern Australian tropical beef cattle to enable red meat industry players to work on marbling, juiciness, tenderness and overall meat-eating characteristics.
Highlights
Beef plays a significant role in global human nutrition
The primary aim of this review was to explore the published literature reporting the effects of nutritional grazing, dietary supplementation and roles of stearoyl-coA desaturase (SCD), Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes on beef cattle performance and subsequent carcass and meat characteristics
German Holstein bulls had higher Saturated FA (SFA) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) compared to German Simmental bulls on similar diets, but breed had no effect on n-3 fatty acid (FA) [184]
Summary
Beef plays a significant role in global human nutrition. It is the third most consumed meat in the world after poultry and pork at 6.4, 14.0 and 12.2 kg per capita, respectively [1]. Wolcott et al [13] reported the findings of a broad consumer taste panel assessment of beef from cattle of various genetic, nutritional and environmental backgrounds in Australia, which demonstrated a measurable and negative impact of Bos indicus content on meat characteristics traits of tenderness, marbling and juiciness. The primary aim of this review was to explore the published literature reporting the effects of nutritional grazing, dietary supplementation and roles of SCD, FABP4 and FASN genes on beef cattle performance and subsequent carcass and meat characteristics. The review identifies current knowledge gaps that could underpin future research in nutrition-genetics interactions aimed at a greater understanding of grazing nutrition, feedlot finishing performance and carcass traits with a focus on tropical northern Australian beef cattle and the effect on marbling, juiciness, tenderness and overall meat-eating characteristics
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