Beef Fatty Acid Research Articles

The analysis of lamb and beef fatty acids with a 30 m BPX70 column is comparable with a 120 m column

Gas chromatography (GC) analysis of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) typically uses long capillary columns (≥ 100 m) which can be expensive and time consuming. The current study determined whether the major FAME of interest for human health in lamb and beef can be quantified using a 30 m compared with 120 m moderately polar capillary (BPX70) column. Lamb and beef samples with a range of intramuscular fat content from either grass- or grain-fed animals were analysed. All major FAME of human health importance, including omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers, could be identified on the 30 m BPX70 column. The correlation (r2) for fatty acid percentage between columns was > 0.98 for all major n–3PUFA and > 0.86 for all major CLAs. When animals were fed a grain-based diet, C18:1n–7t (vaccenic acid) could not be resolved from C18:1n-8t when analysed on the 30 m column. The FAME profile of lamb and beef, particularly those important for nutritional composition tables, can be determined using a 30 m BPX70 column, thereby saving time and expense compared with longer columns. Particular care should be employed when analysing samples from grain-fed animals due to co-eluting of C18:1n–8t.

Possibility of using fatty acid profiles for the authentication of beef adulterated with pork, donkey, and dog meat

Detection of meat adulteration is a critical issue in food labeling procedures and a serious concern related to food fraud, authenticity, and religious beliefs. The current work detected and quantified adulteration of raw ground beef with pork, donkey, and dog meat based on fatty acid profiles using GC-MS/MS. The study design incorporated pork, donkey, or dog meat with beef meat; negative and positive controls were used for the different meat species. Results demonstrated several significant differences (p < 0.05) in fatty acid contents between mixed/adulterated meat and pure beef. In addition, higher total saturated fatty acid levels in ground beef (57.91%) compared to dog fat (46.44%), donkey (38.71%), and pork fat (lard) (40.23%). High total unsaturated fatty acids content was observed in donkey (61.92%), pork (59.77%), and dog (53.56%) fats compared to beef fat (42.09%). On the other hand, total unsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in beef meat were lower than in pork, donkey, and dog meat. Moreover, the highest trans-fatty acid content was found in pork compared to the other meat types. All incorporated samples correlated positively with pure ground beef concerning the fatty acid profiles. Therefore, alteration of the mixed beef fatty acid profiles was a potential indicator for adulteration since a marked decrease in total saturated fatty acid content and an increase in unsaturated fatty acids was observed in the substituted samples. We concluded that GC-MS/MS-based fatty acid profiling is a promising technique that can be used to detect meat adulteration.

Microbiome-driven breeding strategy potentially improves beef fatty acid profile benefiting human health and reduces methane emissions

BackgroundHealthier ruminant products can be achieved by adequate manipulation of the rumen microbiota to increase the flux of beneficial fatty acids reaching host tissues. Genomic selection to modify the microbiome function provides a permanent and accumulative solution, which may have also favourable consequences in other traits of interest (e.g. methane emissions). Possibly due to a lack of data, this strategy has never been explored.ResultsThis study provides a comprehensive identification of ruminal microbial mechanisms under host genomic influence that directly or indirectly affect the content of unsaturated fatty acids in beef associated with human dietary health benefits C18:3n-3, C20:5n-3, C22:5n-3, C22:6n-3 or cis-9, trans-11 C18:2 and trans-11 C18:1 in relation to hypercholesterolemic saturated fatty acids C12:0, C14:0 and C16:0, referred to as N3 and CLA indices. We first identified that ~27.6% (1002/3633) of the functional core additive log-ratio transformed microbial gene abundances (alr-MG) in the rumen were at least moderately host-genomically influenced (HGFC). Of these, 372 alr-MG were host-genomically correlated with the N3 index (n=290), CLA index (n=66) or with both (n=16), indicating that the HGFC influence on beef fatty acid composition is much more complex than the direct regulation of microbial lipolysis and biohydrogenation of dietary lipids and that N3 index variation is more strongly subjected to variations in the HGFC than CLA. Of these 372 alr-MG, 110 were correlated with the N3 and/or CLA index in the same direction, suggesting the opportunity for enhancement of both indices simultaneously through a microbiome-driven breeding strategy. These microbial genes were involved in microbial protein synthesis (aroF and serA), carbohydrate metabolism and transport (galT, msmX), lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis (kdsA, lpxD, lpxB), or flagellar synthesis (flgB, fliN) in certain genera within the Proteobacteria phyla (e.g. Serratia, Aeromonas). A microbiome-driven breeding strategy based on these microbial mechanisms as sole information criteria resulted in a positive selection response for both indices (1.36±0.24 and 0.79±0.21 sd of N3 and CLA indices, at 2.06 selection intensity). When evaluating the impact of our microbiome-driven breeding strategy to increase N3 and CLA indices on the environmental trait methane emissions (g/kg of dry matter intake), we obtained a correlated mitigation response of −0.41±0.12 sd.ConclusionThis research provides insight on the possibility of using the ruminal functional microbiome as information for host genomic selection, which could simultaneously improve several microbiome-driven traits of interest, in this study exemplified with meat quality traits and methane emissions.6mp-1d5cpTQY_WdEUFHrBcVideo

Integration analyses of structural variations and differential gene expression associated with beef fatty acid profile in Nellore cattle.

This study aimed to integrate analyses of structural variations and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with the beef fatty acid (FA) profile in Nellore cattle. Copy numbers variation (CNV) detection was performed using the penncnv algorithm and CNVRuler software in 3794 genotyped animals through the High-Density Bovine BeadChip. In order to perform the genomic wide association study (GWAS), a total of 963 genotyped animals were selected to obtain the intramuscular lipid concentration and quantify the beef FA profile. A total of 48 animals belonging to the same farm and management lot were extracted from the 963 genotyped and phenotyped animals to carry out the transcriptomic and differentially expressed gene analyses. The GWAS with extreme groups of FA profiles was performed using a logistic model. A total of 43, 42, 66 and 35 significant CNV regions (p < 0.05) for saturated, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids were identified respectively. The paired-end sequencing of 48 samples was performed using the Illumina HiSeq2500 platform. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to validate the DEGs identified by RNA-seq analysis. The results showed several DEGs associated with the FA profile of Longissimus thoracis, such as BSCL2 and SAMD8. Enriched terms as the cellular response to corticosteroid (GO:0071384) and glucocorticoid stimulus (GO:0071385) could be highlighted. The identification of structural variations harboring candidate genes for beef FA must contribute to the elucidation of the genetic basis that determines the beef FA composition of intramuscular fat in Nellore cattle. Our results will contribute to the identification of potential biomarkers for complex phenotypes, such as the FA profile, to improve the reliability of the genomic predictions including pre-selected variants using differentiated weighting in the genomic models.

Transcriptomic profile of longissimus thoracis associated with fatty acid content in Nellore beef cattle.

The beef fatty acid (FA) profile has the potential to impact human health, and displays polygenic and complex features. This study aimed to identify the transcriptomic FA profile in the longissimus thoracis muscle in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot. Forty-four young bulls were sampled to assess the beef FA profile by considering 14 phenotypes and including differentially expressed genes (DEG), co-expressed (COE), and differentially co-expressed genes (DCO) analyses. All samples (n=44) were used for COE analysis, whereas 30 samples with extreme phenotypes for the beef FA profile were used for DEG and DCO. A total of 912 DEG were identified, and the polyunsaturated (n=563) and unsaturated ω-3 (n=346) FA sums groups were the most frequently observed. The COE analyses identified three modules, of which the blue module (n=1776) was correlated with eight of 14 FA phenotypes. Also, 759 DCO genes were listed, and the oleic acid (n=358) and monounsaturated fatty acids sum (n=120) were the most frequent. Furthermore, 243 and 13, 319 and seven, and 173 and 12 gene ontology terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways were enriched respectively for the DEG, COE, and DCO analyses. Combining the results, we highlight the unexplored GIPC2, ASB5, and PPP5C genes in cattle. Besides LIPE and INSIG2 genes in COE modules, the ACSL3, ECI1, DECR2, FITM1, and SDHB genes were signaled in at least two analyses. These findings contribute to understand the genetic mechanisms underlying the beef FA profile in Nellore beef cattle finished in feedlot.

Effects of Multiple Grass- and Grain-Fed Production Systems on Beef Fatty Acid Contents and Their Consumer Health Implications

Effects of Multiple Grass- and Grain-Fed Production Systems on Beef Fatty Acid Contents and Their Consumer Health Implications

Subprodutos agroindustriais de caroço de algodão e soja utilizados na dieta de bovinos confinados: efeitos no perfil de ácidos graxos e parâmetros de qualidade da carne bovina

ABSTRACT Beef composition are directly influenced by the dietary fat, particularly in ruminants, due to rumen biohydrogenation, which promotes alterations in the dietary fatty acid (FA) profile and affects the meat quality. Beef sensorial, chemical, and FA compositions of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat were evaluated, from 40 Nellore males finished on feedlot diet based, containing cottonseed (CSB) and soybean by-product (SOB) as agro-industrial by-product fat sources. CSB as a fat source, did not alter the beef pH, shear force, chemical composition, or subcutaneous FA profile compared with the SOB diet. Differences were observed at yellow and red beef color, with low and high CSB diet inclusion; on the contrary, inclusion of SOB in the diet led to an intensely unpleasant aroma in aged and cooked meats. Regarding beef FA profile, CSB with 3% dietary fat produced steaks with a lower proportion of C 17:0 , having 1.359 and 3.238 g/100 g of intramuscular FA, whereas CSB with 5% dietary fat led to an increase in C 18:2 n -6 , with 0.298 and 0.132 g/100 g of intramuscular FA in steaks from animals fed with CSB and SOB, respectively. CSB produced more intense red beef color, unpleasant aroma, and higher linoleic acid content; however, the color and aroma of the meat produced from cattle fed with CSB in the diet were less intense and were like those observed in cattle fed with SOB; these could therefore be recommended for use as agro-industrial by-products in beef cattle diet.

Genome-wide interaction study reveals epistatic interactions for beef lipid-related traits in Nellore cattle.

Gene-gene interactions cause hidden genetic variation in natural populations and could be responsible for the lack of replication that is typically observed in complex traits studies. This study aimed to identify gene-gene interactions using the empirical Hilbert-Schmidt Independence Criterion method to test for epistasis in beef fatty acid profile traits of Nellore cattle. The dataset contained records from 963 bulls, genotyped using a 777 962k SNP chip. Meat samples of Longissimus muscle, were taken to measure fatty acid composition, which was quantified by gas chromatography. We chose to work with the sums of saturated (SFA), monounsaturated (MUFA), polyunsaturated (PUFA), omega-3 (OM3), omega-6 (OM6), SFA:PUFA and OM3:OM6 fatty acid ratios. The SNPs in the interactions where were mapped individually and used to search for candidate genes. Totals of 602, 3, 13, 23, 13, 215 and 169 candidate genes for SFAs, MUFAs, PUFAs, OM3s, OM6s and SFA:PUFA and OM3:OM6 ratios were identified respectively. The candidate genes found were associated with cholesterol, lipid regulation, low-density lipoprotein receptors, feed efficiency and inflammatory response. Enrichment analysis revealed 57 significant GO and 18 KEGG terms ( < 0.05), most of them related to meat quality and complementary terms. Our results showed substantial genetic interactions associated with lipid profile, meat quality, carcass and feed efficiency traits for the first time in Nellore cattle. The knowledge of these SNP-SNP interactions could improve understanding of the genetic and physiological mechanisms that contribute to lipid-related traits and improve human health by the selection of healthier meat products.

Genome-Wide Association Study for Fatty Acid Composition in American Angus Cattle.

Simple SummaryAlmost everybody depends on livestock for various reasons directly or indirectly. Consequently, improving livestock production means improving human life. Meat plays important role in human life, as it is good source of protein and energy. Meat composition depends on breed’s genetics and environmental factors. Fatty acids (FA) play important role in human diet and health. FA add flavor and taste to meat. Fatty acid composition of meat is a complex polygenic trait that is controlled by genetics and environmental factors. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to identify genomic regions associated with FA composition in American Angus. Thirty-six different genomic regions were identified associated with variation in at least one FA. The genomic regions associated with more than one FA and high genetic variance, harbor good candidate genes (e.g., FABP2, FASN, FADS2, FADS3 and SCD). The identified makers could be used to select for altered FA profile and help to increase the understanding of the genetic basis of FA composition. Furthermore, findings from the present study could help to devise effective breeding plans and selection strategies for the improvement of beef FA profile.Livestock is an important commodity playing a major role in the global economy. Red meat plays an important role in human life, as it is a good source of animal protein and energy. The fatty acid content of beef has been shown to impact the eating experience and nutritional value of beef. Therefore, this study aimed to identify genomic regions which can account for genetic variation in meat fatty acid content. Genotypes imputed to the Illumina BovineHD 770K BeadChip were used in this study. Thirty-six 1-Mb genomic regions with a posterior probability of inclusion (PPI) greater than 0.90 were identified to be associated with variation in the content of at least one fatty acid. The genomic regions (1Mb) which were associated with more than one fatty acid trait with high genetic variance and harbored good candidate genes were on Chromosome (Chr) 6 (fatty acid binding protein 2), Chr 19 (thyroid hormone receptor alpha, fatty acid synthase), Chr 26 (stearoyl-CoA desaturase), and Chr 29 (thyroid hormone responsive, fatty acid desaturase 2, and fatty acid desaturase 3). Further studies are required to identify the causal variants within the identified genomic regions. Findings from the present study will help to increase understanding of the variation in fatty acid content of beef and help to enhance selection for beef with improved fatty acid composition.

Genome-wide association study for beef fatty acid profile using haplotypes in Nellore cattle

The objective of this study was to identify genomic regions associated with beef fatty acid (FA) profile in Nellore cattle finished in feedlot, using haplotype based analyzes. Also, the metabolic pathway enrichment analysis was performed to seek for genes with known functions, close to the haplotype blocks, associated with the evaluated traits, providing subsidies for a better understanding of how the genes affect this trait. A total of 963 Nellore bulls with phenotype for FA, were genotyped using the Illumina BovineHD BeadChip. Samples from the Longissimus thoracis muscle were taken for FAs profile measurement by gas chromatography using a SP-2560 capillary column. Haplotype blocks were defined based on the linkage disequilibrium (LD), where pairs of SNPs are in strong LD if the confidence interval is equal to or greater than 95% with D’ equal to 0.98 and the lower limit is above 0.70. The model used to estimate the haplotypes effects for the sum of beef fatty acid groups included the fixed effects of contemporary group, animal age at slaughter (as linear covariable), haplotypes (as linear regression over the number of haplotype copies: 0, 1 e 2), and the additive genetic effect as random (polygenic effect). Genome-wide association analyzes were performed for each haplotype block (single marker association) by a Restricted Maximum Likelihood model (REML) using ASREML v. 4.3 software. A total of 15, 15, 4, 3, 6, 5, and 10 haplotypes were significantly associated (FDR< 0.10) with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), total amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA), PUFA:SFA ratio, omega 3 (n3), omega 6 (n6), and n6:n3 ratio, respectively. The statistically significant haplotypes harbored 38 genes, among which we highlighted those involved in lipid biosynthesis and metabolism, low-density lipoprotein oxidation, transport of fatty acids and cholesterol, adipocyte functions, biosynthesis of glycoprotein hormones, regulation of serum triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels, and adipogenesis. In addition, several novel regions were identified, including a putative quantitative trait locus for lipid metabolism and energy homeostasis. The enrichment analysis by DAVID tool revealed 14 significant (P< 0.05) terms related to fatty acids such as cellular response to retinoic acid, glycerol transport, regulation of Notch signaling pathway, and Ras signaling pathway. These results would contribute to the improvement of nutritional and health value of beef lipids in indicine cattle by including information from causal mutations in genetic evaluation through weighted their effects differently in genomic predictions.

Multi-Omics Approach Reveals miR-SNPs Affecting Muscle Fatty Acids Profile in Nelore Cattle.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression, potentially affecting several biological processes, whose function can be altered by sequence variation. Hence, the integration of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and miRNAs can explain individual differences in economic traits. To provide new insights into the effects of SNPs on miRNAs and their related target genes, we carried out a multi-omic analysis to identify SNPs in miRNA mature sequences (miR-SNPs) associated with fatty acid (FA) composition in the Nelore cattle. As a result, we identified 3 miR-SNPs in different miRNAs (bta-miR-2419-3p, bta-miR-193a-2, and bta-miR-1291) significantly associated with FA traits (p-value < 0.02, Bonferroni corrected). Among these, the rs110817643C>T, located in the seed sequence of the bta-miR-1291, was associated with different ω6 FAs, polyunsaturated FA, and polyunsaturated:saturated FA ratios. Concerning the other two miR-SNPs, the rs43400521T>C (located in the bta-miR-2419-3p) was associated with C12:0 and C18:1 cis-11 FA, whereas the rs516857374A>G (located in the bta-miR-193a-2) was associated with C18:3 ω6 and ratio of ω6/ω3 traits. Additionally, to identify potential biomarkers for FA composition, we described target genes affected by these miR-SNPs at the mRNA or protein level. Our multi-omics analysis outlines the effects of genetic polymorphism on miRNA, and it highlights miR-SNPs and target candidate genes that control beef fatty acid composition.

Differentially expressed genes identified through RNA-seq with extreme values of principal components for beef fatty acid in Nelore cattle.

The aim of this study was to identify differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the Longissimus thoracis muscle of Nelore cattle related to fatty acid (FA) profile through RNA sequencing and principal component analysis (PCA). Two groups of 10 animals each were selected containing PC1 and PC2 extreme DEG values (HIGH×LOW) for each FA group. The intramuscular fat (IMF) was compared between cluster groups by ANOVA, and only the sum of monounsaturated FA (MUFA) and ω3 showed significant differences (p<.05). Interestingly, the highest percentage (95%) of phenotypic variation explained by the sum of the first two PC was observed for ω3, which also displayed the lowest number of DEG (n=1). The lowest percentage (59%) was observed for MUFA, which also revealed the largest number of DEG (n=66). Since only MUFA and ω3 exhibited significant differences between cluster groups, we can conclude that the differences observed for the remaining groups are not due to the percentage of IMF. Several genes that have been previously associated with meat quality and FA traits were identified as DEG in this study. The functional analysis revealed one KEGG pathway and eight GO terms as significant (p<.05), in which we highlighted the purine metabolism, glycolytic process, adenosine triphosphate binding and bone development. These results strongly contribute to the knowledge of the biological mechanisms involved in meat FA profile of Nelore cattle.

Effects of a high-fibre and low-starch diet in growth performance, carcass and meat quality of young Alentejana breed bulls

Growth performance, carcass and meat quality of 16 Alentejana bulls fed for 90 days with a conventional cereal-based (Control) or a high-fibre and low-starch (HFLS) diet were studied. The HFLS diet included 20% alfalfa hay, 4.8% soybean oil, 6% soybean hulls, 6% dehydrated citrus and 6% sugar beet pulps in substitution of grain. Ryegrass hay was offered to a maximum of 20% of total intake in both diets. Bulls were individually housed, weighed every 14 days, and feed intake was registered daily. Average daily weight gain, dry matter intake, carcass and most meat quality traits were not affected by the diet (P > .05). Feeding an HFLS diet, therefore, can improve beef fatty acid profiles without negatively impacting animal performance or meat quality.

Erratum to: Comparisons of Beef Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Characteristics between Jeju Black Cattle, Hanwoo, and Wagyu Breeds

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.5851/kosfa.2019.e33.].

Comparison between haplotype-based and individual snp-based genomic predictions for beef fatty acid profile in Nelore cattle.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the genomic predictions using the single-step genomic best linear unbiased predictor (ssGBLUP) method based on SNPs and haplotype markers associated with beef fatty acids (FAs) profile in Nelore cattle. The data set contained records from 963 Nelore bulls finished in feedlot (±90days) and slaughtered with approximately 24months of age. Meat samples from the Longissimus dorsi muscle were taken for FAs profile measurement. FAs were quantified by gas chromatography using a SP-2560 capillary column. Animals were genotyped with the high-density SNP panel (BovineHD BeadChip assay) containing 777,962 markers. SNPs with a minor allele frequency and a call rate lower than 0.05 and 0.90, respectively, monomorphic, located on sex chromosomes, and with unknown position were removed from the data set. After genomic quality control, a total of 469,981 SNPs and 892 samples were available for subsequent analyses. Missing genotypes were imputed and phased using the FImpute software. Haplotype blocks were defined based on linkage disequilibrium using the Haploview software. The model to estimate variance components and genetic parameters and to predict the genomic values included the random genetic additive effects, fixed effects of the contemporary group and the age at slaughter as a linear covariate. Accuracies using the haplotype-based approach ranged from 0.07 to 0.31, and those SNP-based ranged from 0.06 to 0.33. Regression coefficients ranged from 0.07 to 0.74 and from 0.08 to 1.45 using the haplotype- and SNP-based approaches, respectively. Despite the low to moderate accuracies for the genomic values, it is possible to obtain genetic progress trough selection using genomic information based either on SNPs or haplotype markers. The SNP-based approach allows less biased genomic evaluations, and it is more feasible when taking into account the computational and operational cost underlying the haplotypes inference.

A modelling approach to investigate the impact of consumption of three different beef compositions on human dietary fat intakes.

To apply a dietary modelling approach to investigate the impact of substituting beef intakes with three types of alternative fatty acid (FA) composition of beef on population dietary fat intakes. Cross-sectional, national food consumption survey - the National Adult Nutrition Survey (NANS). The fat content of the beef-containing food codes (n 52) and recipes (n 99) were updated with FA composition data from beef from animals receiving one of three ruminant dietary interventions: grass-fed (GRASS), grass finished on grass silage and concentrates (GSC) or concentrate-fed (CONC). Mean daily fat intakes, adherence to dietary guidelines and the impact of altering beef FA composition on dietary fat sources were characterised. Ireland. Beef consumers (n 1044) aged 18-90 years. Grass-based feeding practices improved dietary intakes of a number of individual FA, wherein myristic acid (C14 : 0) and palmiticacid (C16 : 0) were decreased, with an increase in conjugated linoleic acid (C18 : 2c9,t11) and trans-vaccenic acid (C18 : 1t11; P < 0·05). Improved adherence with dietary recommendations for total fat (98·5 %), SFA (57·4 %) and PUFA (98·8 %) was observed in the grass-fed beef scenario (P < 0·001). Trans-fat intakes were increased significantly in the grass-fed beef scenario (P < 0·001). To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first to characterise the impact of grass-fed beef consumption at population level. The study suggests that habitual consumption of grass-fed beef may have potential as a public health strategy to improve dietary fat quality.

Effect of growth path on carcass and meat-quality traits of Hereford steers finished on pasture or in feedlot

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of nutritional management during rearing and finishing phases on beef fatty acid composition, and carcass and beef quality traits of Hereford cattle. The study used 240 castrated male calves weaned at 8 months of age, and with an average weight of 170 ± 17 kg. After weaning, the experiment was divided in to three phases in a 4 × 2 factorial design: a 93-day winter period with four treatment groups (on pasture or in feedlot and at high or low feeding levels); a 196-day compensatory-growth phase on pasture; and a finishing phase either on pasture or in feedlot. Animals were slaughtered when each group attained a mean liveweight of 500 kg. The winter growth × finishing management interaction significantly affected hot carcass weight (P = 0.0029). There was no differences observed for feedlot-finished steers, but for pasture-finished steers, those pasture-reared had higher hot carcass weight (kg) than those feedlot-reared (low pasture 256.30 ± 1.60, high pasture 253.72 ± 1.60, low feedlot 249.85 ± 1.66, high feedlot 247.60 ± 1.62). Feedlot-finished steers showed higher (P &amp;lt; 0.05) mean values than pasture-finished steers for ribeye area (55.61 ± 0.69 cm2 vs 53.18 cm2), backfat thickness (8.62 ± 0.32 mm vs 6.21 mm), marbling score (237.97 ± 13.06 vs 171.70) and final pH (5.53 ± 0.02 vs 5.48). Additionally, feedlot-finished steers raised in feedlot during the winter-growth period displayed the heaviest hindquarter cuts. Meat from pasture-finished steers had lower (P &amp;lt; 0.05) shear-force values than from feedlot-finished cattle (2.95 ± 0.18 vs 3.66 ± 0.17 kg), and when reared on either high or low pasture during winter-growth, they showed the highest (P &amp;lt; 0.05) conjugated linoleic acid (cis-9, trans-11) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations. In conclusion, growing and finishing cattle on pasture improved the carcass yield of retail cuts because of low fat concentration, and improved the nutritional and health value of the beef fatty acid profile.

Point of purchase fatty acid profile, oxidative status and quality of vacuum-packaged grass fed Australian beef held chilled for up to 12 weeks

We investigated the fatty acid (FA) composition, oxidative biomarkers and quality traits of chilled beef. Specifically, striploin portions were held in vacuo and chilled (~ 1.5 °C) for up to 12 weeks, and analysed dependent on their assigned chilled storage period (0, 2, 5, 8, 10 and 12 weeks). There were no practical effects observed on beef FA composition as a result of chilled storage – including several polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Intramuscular fat content was found to have a covariate effect, but only for saturated FA and monounsaturated FA. Vitamin E and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were unchanged. Furthermore, improvements to shear force and particle size were evident at 2 weeks and thereafter, no further variation was evident. These findings suggest that beef produced to be healthier based on the EPA, DHA and PUFA content will remain so, for up to 12 weeks. Likewise, beef quality will be preserved across this same period.

Moisture content, fatty acid profile and oxidative traits of aged beef subjected to different temperature-time combinations

Temperature-time combinations (TTC) effects on beef fatty acid (FA) composition, moisture content and oxidative traits were investigated. TTC were designed so temperatures were constant over each time period, and there was at most one variation in temperature within a sample's combined (total) time period. Therefore, three temperatures (~ 3, 5 and 7 °C) and five time periods (6, 8, 10 and 12 d) resulted in 72 different TTC, which were compared to control samples held for 14 d at ~ 1 °C. It was found that moisture losses increased as TTC temperature and time periods increased. There were negligible effects of TTC on FA composition. Sample TBARS and vitamin E content did not respond to TTC. A positive relationship between beef vitamin E and long chain polyunsaturated FA contents was observed. We concluded that TTC could be applied to accelerate the rate of ageing for beef and achieve comparable yield, oxidative and FA characteristics compared to conventional ageing approaches.

Comparisons of Beef Fatty Acid and Amino Acid Characteristics between Jeju Black Cattle, Hanwoo, and Wagyu Breeds.

Jeju black cattle are known as one of Korea’s traditional cattle. However, Hanwoo is more well-known to Korean meat consumers as representative beef cattle. Despite the popularity of these two breeds, comparison of the nutritional characteristics between Jeju black cattle and Hanwoo have not been studied. Here, we compared the fatty acid and amino acid characteristics between two Korean traditional cattle and Wagyu breeds. A total of 62 cattle were used in this study. The Jeju black cattle beef had significantly higher unsaturated fatty acids than Hanwoo (p<0.05). Savory fatty acids, including oleic acid were also higher than in Hanwoo cattle (p<0.05). The negative flavor fatty acids, such as palmitic acid were significantly lower than in Hanwoo (p<0.001). On the other hand, linoleic acid which imparts a negative flavor was higher than Hanwoo (p<0.05). Amino acids, including alanine and glutamine, usually representative of the umami taste were present in significantly higher proportions in Jeju black cattle (p<0.05). In addition, bitter tasting amino acids, including valine, leucine, isoleucine, and methionine were lower in Jeju black cattle beef than in Hanwoo (p<0.05, p<0.001, p<0.001, and p<0.001 each). Taken together, our results suggest that Jeju black cattle beef had higher savory flavor and umami taste which affected consumers preference for the meat.