German Simmental Bulls Research Articles

Trace mineral concentrations and accretion rates in the empty body and body tissues of growing Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls.

This research project aimed to generate basic data for specifying the trace mineral requirements of Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls. Hence, the concentrations of the trace minerals iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) in the empty-body and body tissue fractions of growing Fleckvieh bulls slaughtered at 120-780 kg live weight were determined. Results were used to calculate trace mineral accretion rates. Fe and Zn represented the largest shares in the animals' bodies. The Zn accretion increased, while Mn accretion steadily declined during cattle growth. Fe accretion attained a maximum at 400 kg live weight. Cu accretion declined until 600 kg live weight and then increased slightly afterwards. The provided data may be used to adjust the recommendations with respect to the trace mineral requirements of growing Fleckvieh bulls.

Effect of Rumen-Protected Methionine on Metabolic Profile of Liver, Muscle and Blood Serum Samples of Growing German Simmental Bulls Fed Protein-Reduced Diets.

This study aimed to determine the metabolic response of growing German Simmental bulls fed rations low in crude protein (CP) supplemented with rumen-protected methionine (RPMET). In total, 69 bulls (on average 238 ± 11 days of age at start and 367 ± 25 kg of bodyweight) were assigned to three dietary treatments (n = 23/group): Positive control (CON; 13.7% CP; 2.11 g methionine/kg DM), negative control deficient in CP (RED; 9.04% CP; 1.56 g methionine/kg DM) and crude protein-deficient ration supplemented with RPMET (RED+RPMET; 9.04% CP; 2.54 g methionine/kg DM). At slaughter, samples of liver, muscle and blood serum were taken and underwent subsequent metabolomics profiling using a UHPLC-QTOF-MS system. A total of 6540 features could be detected. Twenty metabolites in the liver, five metabolites in muscle and thirty metabolites in blood serum were affected (p < 0.05) due to dietary treatments. In total, six metabolites could be reliably annotated and were thus subjected to subsequent univariate analysis. Reduction in dietary CP had minimal effect on metabolite abundance in target tissues of both RED and RED+RPMET bulls as compared to CON bulls. The addition of RPMET altered the hepatic anti-oxidant status in RED+RPMET bulls compared to both RED and CON bulls. Results exemplify nutrient partitioning in growing German Simmental bulls: bulls set maintenance as the prevailing metabolic priority (homeostasis) and nutrient trafficking as the second priority, which was directed toward special metabolic functions, such as anti-oxidant pathways.

Content and gain of macro minerals in the empty body and body tissues of growing bulls

This research aimed to generate basic data for specifying the macro mineral requirements of beef bulls. Hence, the contents of the macro minerals calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, sulfur, and magnesium in the empty body and body tissue fractions of growing Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls with 120–780 kg live weight were determined. Results were used to calculate mineral gain rates in bulls within a wide weight range from 100 to 800 kg live weight. Calcium and phosphorus represented the largest shares in the animals' bodies. Body mineral content changed during animal growth due to progressing bone mineralization and increasing amounts of fat in all body tissues. Peak mineral gain rates were observed for calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium during the 200–400 kg live weight range. The gain rates of sodium, potassium, and sulfur declined steadily during cattle growth. The provided data allow to adjust the existing values of net mineral requirements of growing Fleckvieh bulls within the factorial requirement calculation method.

Body composition and composition of gain of growing beef bulls fed rations with varying energy concentrations

Data on chemical body composition of cattle serve as a basis for recommendations on energy and nutrient requirements. Relevant data of growing dual-purpose Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls are scarce and originate from old trials, covering low rates of gain and live weights. Hence, the aim of the study was to analyze the body tissue distribution, chemical composition, and composition of body weight gain of growing Fleckvieh bulls within a 120–780 kg live weight range. Results showed that body composition changed during growth but was not affected by dietary energy concentration. Changes in body composition were characterized by increasing shares of fat tissue and ether extract. Body tissues as blood, organs, gastrointestinal tract, and bone proportionately decreased during growth, while muscle and tendon proportions remained constant. The bulls featured enhanced growth potential and high muscle and protein gain throughout the described weight range. The requirements for metabolizable protein in relation to energy decrease with increasing live weight of the animals.

Influence of dietary energy concentration and body weight at slaughter on carcass tissue composition and beef cuts of modern type Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls

A feeding and slaughter experiment was conducted to evaluate the carcass tissue composition and meat quality of growing modern type Fleckvieh (German Simmental) bulls. For the study, 72 bulls were customary reared and for the fattening period allocated to a normal energy and a high energy treatment group with 11.6 and 12.4 MJ ME/kg DM, respectively. Bulls were slaughtered in a serial slaughter trial with final live weights of 120, 200, 400, 600, and 780 kg. The weights of carcasses, carcass quarters, beef cuts and their tissues (muscle, tendon, fat and bone) as well as meat quality traits were recorded. Results showed that carcass fat increased during growth primarily at the expense of bone and subsidiary muscle tissue, while the tendon content remained constant. Meat quality traits like IMF, meat color and tenderness were superior in high weight groups. Feeding high energy rations did not lead to increased fat accretion, but increased daily gain during certain stages of the fattening period.

Identification of the Causative Gene for Simmental Arachnomelia Syndrome Using a Network-Based Disease Gene Prioritization Approach

Arachnomelia syndrome (AS), mainly found in Brown Swiss and Simmental cattle, is a congenital lethal genetic malformation of the skeletal system. In this study, a network-based disease gene prioritization approach was implemented to rank genes in the previously reported ∼7 Mb region on chromosome 23 associated with AS in Simmental cattle. The top 6 ranked candidate genes were sequenced in four German Simmental bulls, one known AS-carrier ROMEL and a pooled sample of three known non-carriers (BOSSAG, RIFURT and HIRMER). Two suspicious mutations located in coding regions, a mis-sense mutation c.1303G>A in the bystin-like (BYSL) gene and a 2-bp deletion mutation c.1224_1225delCA in the molybdenum cofactor synthesis step 1 (MOCS1) gene were detected. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that the mutation in MOCS1 was more likely to be the causative mutation. Screening the c.1224_1225delCA site in 383 individuals from 12 cattle breeds/lines, we found that only the bull ROMEL and his 12 confirmed progeny carried the mutation. Thus, our results confirm the conclusion of Buitkamp et al. that the 2-bp deletion mutation c.1224_1225delCA in exon 11 of the MOCS1 gene is causative for AS in Simmental cattle. Furthermore, a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was developed to detect the causative mutation.

Trans‐18:1 and CLA Isomers in Rumen and Duodenal Digesta of Bulls Fed n‐3 and n‐6 PUFA‐Based Diets

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of n-6 PUFA (maize silage/grass silage, soybean meal and soybean oil, control) and n-3 PUFA (grass silage, rapeseed cake and rapeseed oil, experiment) based diets on the occurrence of rumen- and duodenal digesta trans-C18:1 and CLA isomers of German Simmental bulls. The results based on rumen and duodenal digesta samples immediately taken from the bulls just after slaughter. The diet affected the occurrence of individual trans-C18:1 and CLA isomers in the rumen and duodenal digesta in different ways. The isomer trans-11,cis-13 CLA was detected as the most abundant isomer in the rumen of n-3 PUFA based diet fed bulls compared to n-6 PUFA based diet fed bulls. The trans-7,cis-9 CLA isomer was not detected in the rumen samples of bulls fed both diets, however abundant trans-7,cis-9 CLA was identified and quantified in the duodenum digesta. Both the concentration of the sum of trans-18:1 fatty acids and individual isomers in the rumen were not affected by the diet, except trans-16-18:1. The concentration of trans-16-18:1 was significantly decreased in the rumen of n-3 PUFA supplemented-fed bulls compared to n-6 PUFA supplemented-fed bulls.

Antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant capacity in longissimus muscle from bulls fed diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids

The effect of a treatment diet composed of grass silage and concentrate including rapeseed (with/without feeding restriction) was compared with a control diet of maize silage/grass silage (70:30) and concentrate including soybean, on the antioxidant enzyme activities of fresh longissimus muscle from German Simmental bulls. Additionally, the effect of diet on antioxidant capacity (AOC) of hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants was evaluated in fresh and stored beef muscle using the FRAP-ferric reducing ability and TEAC – Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity assays at different reaction times. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher in the treatment diet groups, and glutathione peroxidase activity was not different. AOC was not affected by the diet. However, storage affected the values of FRAP and TEAC assays, and the results were time-depending. 30min were found like a minimum reaction time for both assays. Generally, AOC values of the hydrophilic antioxidants were significantly higher than lipophilic values.

Genetic variation in monoamine oxidase A and analysis of association with behaviour traits in beef cattle

Husbandry of beef cattle requires animals that do not behave aggressively or timidly. The enzyme monoamine oxidase A and the coding gene (MAOA) play an important role in the complex regulation of behaviour. The complete coding region and a part of the non-coding sequence of the bovine MAOA gene have been analysed in 20 German Angus and 20 German Simmental bulls and cows with the aim of detecting genetic variability. These two cattle breeds are known to differ regarding their behaviour during handling. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified, three of which were found in the coding region of the gene (exons III and XV). One of the SNPs located in exon XV (NC_007331.3:g.80340C>T) was found to be a non-synonymous mutation. The minor allele frequency of this resulting amino acid substitution was significantly different between 543 German Angus and 417 German Simmental calves (0.39 and 0.49, respectively). The potential functional impact of this polymorphism has been tested by in silico analysis, as well as by association analysis using behaviour scores of the genotyped calves for three behaviour tests that assessed the animals' temperament during tethering, weighing or social separation. In silico analysis did not deliver consistent results arguing for or against a functional impact of the studied amino acid substitution on the function of the biological protein. No significant association was found between this MAOA polymorphism and the behaviour-related scores analysed in the study.

How do n-3 fatty acid (short-time restricted vs unrestricted) and n-6 fatty acid enriched diets affect the fatty acid profile in different tissues of German Simmental bulls?

This study investigated the effect of n-6 (control group) and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) supply (treatment group unrestricted) and a short-time feed restriction for n-3 PUFA supply (treatment group restricted) on intramuscular fat content and the total fatty acid composition in different tissues (muscle, subcutaneous fat, liver, serum and erythrocytes) and lipid classes of intramuscular fat of German Simmental bulls (n=25). Exogenous n-3 PUFA caused a higher concentration of the sum of all single n-3 and n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) in all analysed tissues. Feed restriction compared to control feeding induced a significant decrease of C18:1cis-9 in the phospholipid fraction of longissimus muscle and in subcutaneous fat. The concentration of C18:3n-3 in liver of treatment groups was between 34 and 44% higher compared to control. PUFA in serum and the sum of n-3 PUFA in erythrocytes were significantly higher in both treatment groups compared to control. The synthesis and deposition of n-3 LC PUFA seems to be tissue dependent according to different relative amounts.

The intact muscle lipid composition of bulls: an investigation by MALDI-TOF MS and 31P NMR

The analysis of beef lipids is normally based on chromatographic techniques and/or gas chromatography in combination with mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Modern techniques of soft-ionization MS were so far scarcely used to investigate the intact lipids in muscle tissues of beef. The objective of the study was to investigate whether matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry and (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy are useful tools to study the intact lipid composition of beef. For the MALDI-TOF MS and (31)P NMR investigations muscle samples were selected from a feeding experiment with German Simmental bulls fed different diets. Beside the triacylglycerols (TAGs), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylinositol (PI) species the MALDI-TOF mass spectra of total muscle lipids gave also intense signals of cardiolipin (CL) species. The application of different matrix compounds, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHB) and 9-aminoacridine (9-AA), leads to completely different mass spectra: 9-AA is particularly useful for the detection of (polar) phospholipids, whereas apolar lipids, such as cholesterol and triacylglycerols, are exclusively detected if DHB is used. Finally, the quality of the negative ion mass spectra is much higher if 9-AA is used.

Diet‐dependent occurrence of CLA isomers in rumen and duodenal digesta of slaughtered bulls

AbstractThis study examined the effects of linolenic acid‐rich vs. linoleic acid‐rich feeding system on the occurrence of individual CLA isomers in the rumen and duodenum digesta of German Holstein and German Simmental bulls using Ag+‐HPLC/DAD. The diet affected the biosynthesis of individual CLA isomers in the rumen of the bulls of both breeds. The isomer t‐11,c‐13 CLA was detected as the most abundant isomer in the rumen of linolenic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls, up to six times higher compared to linoleic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls. However, the main isomer in muscle lipid, c‐9,t‐11 CLA, was produced to a low extent in the rumen of linolenic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls compared to higher concentrations of this isomer in the rumen of linoleic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls. The isomers t‐7,c‐9 CLA and t‐8,c‐10 CLA were not present in the rumen samples of bulls fed both diets; however, abundant t‐7,c‐9 CLA was identified in the duodenum. The CLA isomers t‐12,t‐14 CLA and t‐11,t‐13 CLA were identified as the main t,t CLA isomers in the rumen, and were significantly enhanced in the rumen of linolenic acid‐rich diet‐fed compared to linoleic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls. In contrast to c‐9,t‐11 CLA, the t,t CLA isomers seem to be biosynthesized predominantly in the rumen, further transported via the duodenum and finally deposited in the tissue lipids mainly in linolenic acid‐rich diet‐fed bulls. This was shown earlier for muscle and subcutaneous fat samples from the same animal experiment.

Effects of diet and storage on fatty acid profile, micronutrients and quality of muscle from German Simmental bulls

This study evaluated the effect of diet on fatty acid profile, vitamins, trace elements, lipid peroxidation, and quality of longissimus muscle of German Simmental bulls. The effect of storage on fatty acid profile and vitamins was also included. A control group was fed concentrate including soybean, and maize silage/grass silage. Treatment group I (unrestricted) was fed concentrate including rapeseed, and grass silage. Treatment group II (restricted) was fed like treatment group I with a feed restriction period. The treatment diet was not effective to give similar daily live weight gain to the control diet, but it was successful in improving beef fatty acid composition without affecting tenderness and colour (under unrestricted conditions). There were no differences in vitamins and cooking loss, but selenium decreased in treatment groups. Stimulated lipid peroxidation, in samples taken immediately post-mortem, was higher in treatment groups. Polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased, saturated fatty acids and intramuscular fat increased after 14 days of storage while vitamins had no significant reduction.

Effect of the feeding level during the fattening phase on the productive parameters, carcass characteristics and quality of fat in heavy pigs

1. How do n-3 fatty acid (short-time restricted vs unrestricted) and n-6 fatty acid enriched diets affect the fatty acid profile in different tissues of German Simmental bulls? A. Herdmann, J. Martin, G. Nuernberg, J. Wegner, D. Dannenberger, K. Nuernberg Meat Science CrossRef

Vaccenic Acid and cis‐9,trans‐11 CLA in the Rumen and Different Tissues of Pasture‐ and Concentrate‐Fed Beef Cattle

The objective of present study was the comparison of trans-11 18:1 (VA) and cis-9,trans-11 CLA concentrations in the rumen and different tissues in beef cattle, and to examine the diet and breed effects on the compound concentration and deposition. Sixty-four German Holstein and German Simmental bulls were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments, based on concentrate or pasture. The concentration of cis-9,trans-11 CLA and VA in rumen, duodenal digesta and different tissues was determined by gas chromatography. The results showed that pasture relative to concentrate feeding significantly increased the concentration of VA in duodenal digesta, plasma and erythrocyte phospholipids. Pasture-based feeding resulted in a significant enrichment of cis-9,trans-11 CLA in plasma lipids and erythrocyte phospholipids, but not in rumen and duodenal digesta, compared to concentrate-fed diet. Diet did not affect the cis-9,trans-11 CLA concentrations (mg/100 g fresh tissue) in semitendinosus muscle and subcutaneous fat. There was a breed effect on the deposition of cis-9,trans-11 CLA in longissimus muscle with lower concentration in pasture-fed German Simmental bulls compared to concentrate-fed bulls. However, pasture feeding significantly increased both, the VA and cis-9,trans-11 CLA concentrations in liver and heart tissues. Both diet and breed effects on Delta(9)-desaturase index was observed in muscle and subcutaneous fat tissues. There was a linear relationship between the concentration of VA and cis-9,trans-11 CLA and the coefficients of determination (R (2)) varied between 0.29 and 0.87 from rumen to the different tissues.

Diet Alters the Fatty Acid Composition of Individual Phospholipid Classes in Beef Muscle

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of diet on the distribution of phospholipid classes and fatty acid profiles of individual phospholipid classes in longissimus muscle of beef. An experiment was established to examine the effect of pasture-based versus concentrate diet offered to two different breeds (German Holstein and German Simmental bulls) to enhance the content of beneficial fatty acids in beef and improve the meat quality for the consumer. High-performance thin-layer chromatography was utilized to separate the phospholipid classes. The fatty acid composition of the individual phospholipid classes was determined by gas chromatography. The main phospholipid classes in the muscle were phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, representing approximately 60% of the total phospholipids, followed by phosphatidylinositol ranging between 11.8 and 14.8%. The results have shown that the fatty acid profiles in the detected seven phospholipid classes can be affected by different feeding systems. Pasture-based feeding resulted in an enrichment of total and individual n-3 fatty acids in all phospholipid classes of muscle lipids of bulls compared with those fed on concentrate. In contrast, pasture-based diet significantly decreased the proportion of total and individual n-6 fatty acids in phospholipid classes, except in the sphingomyelin fraction. The total saturated fatty acid proportions in the phospholipid classes were different and ranged between 4.5% in the cardiolipin fraction and 50.5% in the sphingomyelin fraction of muscle lipids of bulls. Furthermore, the diet effects on the saturated fatty acid proportion in the different phospholipid classes differ widely. The results have shown that the C18:1 trans and CLA profiles in the detected seven phospholipid classes can be affected by different feeding systems.

Carcass- and meat quality of pasture &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;vs&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt; concentrate fed German Simmental and German Holstein bulls

Abstract. Many factors affect ruminant carcass and meat quality, and among the genetic and environmental factors, feeding plays an important role in the determination of quality. In a large study, sixty-four German Holstein and German Simmental bulls were randomly allocated to either an indoor concentrate feeding system or periods of pasture feeding following by a finishing period. During this period the animals got a concentrate containing linseed to improve the meat quality for the consumer and enhance the contents of beneficial fatty acids in beef. German Simmental bulls grew faster in both feeding groups (concentrate and grass-based) compared to German Holstein bulls. Because of that significantly more days of fattening were necessary to reach the slaughter weight of 620 kg. The feeding system did not affect the carcass weights of both breeds. The results of cutting according to the regulations of the Deutsche Landwirtschaftsgesellschaft (DLG-Schnittführung für die Zerlegung der Schlachtkörper von Rind, Kalb, Schwein und Schaf) showed diet effects for different cuts. Pasture feeding significantly decreased the weights of flank, flat ribs and brisket of both breeds. The intramuscular fat content of longissimus muscle was affected by the diet in the case of German Simmental bulls, only. The intramuscular fat content of longissimus muscle of pasture-fed German Simmental bulls was decreased to 1.5 % compared with concentrate-fed bulls (2.6 %). No diet effect was found in the intramuscular fat content of longissimus muscle of German Holstein bulls. The colour investigations of both muscles (longissimus and semitendinosus) showed that the beef produced by pasture feeding is darker. The Warner- Bratzler shear force values (WBSF) of pasture fed bulls were significantly higher compared to the concentrate fed bulls. Pasture feeding resulted in a significant increase in the concentration of n-3 fatty acids up to a factor of 2.8 in longissimus muscle of bulls compared with the concentrate feeding system.

Analysis of Fatty Aldehyde Composition, Including 12-Methyltridecanal, in Plasmalogens fromLongissimusMuscle of Concentrate- and Pasture-Fed Bulls

In a large study, 64 German Holstein and German Simmental bulls were randomly allocated to either an indoor concentrate system or periods of pasture feeding followed by a finishing period on a concentrate containing linseed to enhance the contents of beneficial fatty acids in beef. This paper reports the diet effects on the concentration of 12-methyltridecanal (12-MT) and further fatty aldehydes released from plasmalogens in the phospholipids of longissimus muscle of the bulls. Because of the trace level of the important odorant 12-MT in beef, the determination of fatty aldehydes in phospholipids was done by acidic hydrolysis and the reaction of the aldehydes with 2,4-DNPH followed by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The diet affected the 12-MT concentrations in the muscle phospholipids of both breeds. Pasture feeding significantly increased the 12-MT concentrations up to 350 microg/100 g fresh muscle in the muscle phospholipids of German Holstein and German Simmental bulls as compared with the concentrate-fed bulls. Furthermore, pasture feeding resulted in a significant increase of n-octadecanal in the muscle phospholipids of both breeds up to 39.5 mg/100 g fresh muscle. The concentration of n-hexadecanal was not affected by the diet. Pasture feeding as compared to concentrate feeding significantly decreased the concentration of n-octadec-9-enal in the muscle phospholipids. Summarizing, pasture feeding increased the 12-MT concentration, which can be associated with meat of more intensive aroma and better taste.

Effect of pasture vs. concentrate diet on CLA isomer distribution in different tissue lipids of beef cattle

This study examined the effects of feeding pasture vs. concentrate on the distribution of CLA isomers in the lipids of longissimus and semitendinosus muscle, liver and heart muscle, and subcutaneous fat in beef bulls. Sixty-four German Holstein and German Simmental bulls were randomly allocated to either an indoor concentrate system or periods of pasture feeding followed by a finishing period on a concentrate containing linseed to enhance their beef content of n-3 PUFA and CLA. The concentrations of CLA isomers in the different tissues were determined by GC and silver ion HPLC. The diet affected the distribution of individual CLA isomers in the lipids of the different tissues. The concentration (mg/100 g fresh tissue) of the most prominent isomer, cis-9,trans-11 18:2, was increased up to 1.5 times in liver and heart tissue of bulls fed on pasture as compared with concentrate. However, no diet effect was observed for cis-9,trans-11 18:2 in the lipids of longissimus muscle and subcutaneous fat. In all tissues, the second-most abundant CLA isomer in concentrate-fed bulls was trans-7,cis-9 18:2. In contrast, trans-11,cis-13 18:2 was the second-most abundant CLA isomer in all investigated tissue lipids of pasture-fed bulls. The concentration of the trans-11,cis-13 18:2 isomer was up to 15 times higher in tissues of pasture-fed bulls as compared with concentrate-fed animals. Furthermore, diet affected the concentrations of the CLA trans,trans 18:2 isomers. Pasture feeding significantly increased the concentrations of some trans,trans 18:2 isomers as compared with concentrate, predominantly trans-12,trans-14 18:2 and trans-11,trans-13 18:2. Overall, pasture feeding resulted in significantly increased concentrations of the sum of CLA isomers in the lipids of longissimus muscle, subcutaneous fat, heart and liver muscle of German Holstein and German Simmental bulls, but not in semitendinosus muscle.

Investigation of milk traits of same Simmental bulls' daughters in Germany and Serbia

More important milk traits of Fl generation daughters of German Simmental bulls, in production conditions in Germany and Serbia are investigated in this paper. Progeny testing in conditions in Serbia included in average 26 daughters and in Germany considerably more - 1122. Based on compared results considerably greater absolute difference in quantity of produced milk was determined in Fl generation in Germany (1057kg) with level of significance of (p&lt;0,05*). Statistically highly significant difference (p&lt;0,01**) was established for quantity of milk fat and content of milk fat. Daughters investigated in Germany have realized higher production.