Methods of enrichment of the qualitative composition of a beef with polyunsaturated fatty acids in ecologically unstable agrarian territories

Abstract

Beef is a natural carrier of beneficial n-3 PUFA (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, C20: 5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, C22: 6n-3), it is also an important source of healthy fats for human. The plant-based feeding strategies can be considered as the most appropriate and sustainable approach to increasing the content of n-3 PUFAs in beef. Taking into account the requirements for creating the pastures with high yields, productive longevity, a rapid achievement of pasture ripeness, resistance to grazing and trampling, as well as a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, a total of 3 types of herbs are selected: oat-grass + perennial sorghum + leymus. The plants were grown on the territory of the experimental pilot farm with a cut every 6 weeks and an annual fertilizer at the rate of 250 kg N per 1 hectare for 3 years. The collection of herbal material for the analysis of fatty acids was carried out in June and September 2014, 2015, and 2016. Our microscopic data showed that 2 hours after feeding on fresh grass, the protozoa had a significantly larger number of intracellular chloroplasts, which remained high and 6 hours after feeding. Therefore, data on fatty acids were correlated with the content of intraprotozoal chloroplast. These data illustrate that the absorption by protozoa of mainly plant chloroplasts occurs rapidly. More than that, the intracellular level of chloroplasts is maintained for at least 6 hours. Thus, the protozoa quickly become the main reservoir of chloroplasts and useful sources of PUFAs.