Fatty acid composition of subcutaneous adipose tissue from male calves at different stages of growth.

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to compare fatty acid composition of calves from Bos taurus and Bos indicus cows across different stages of growth. Hereford (H) and Brahman (B) embryos were transferred to H or B cows (n = 58) to produce purebred Brahman (BB), purebred Hereford (HH), Hereford x Brahman (HB), and Brahman x Hereford (BH) offspring. Calves were castrated at 2 to 3 wk of age. Before weaning (210 d of age), calves were fed native grasses. After weaning, calves were fed a concentrate diet in dry-lot pens. Adipose tissue was obtained by biopsy at two times: at weaning during forage feeding and 3 mo after weaning when placed on feed. A third sample was collected from the fed steers at slaughter (approximately 430 d of age). Samples obtained by biopsy and after death were collected from the perianal region. Fatty acid composition for each sample was determined as the normalized percentage area means from the duplicate measures. Generally, BB calves grew slowest and BH steers grew fastest (P < .05). The BH steers exhibited 15 and 20% heavier (P < .05) carcasses per day of age than H-sired steers and BB steers, respectively. Adipose tissue samples from calves from Brahman sires or dams were less saturated (P < .05) than samples from calves from Hereford sires or dams. Differences in degree of unsaturation primarily were due to the percentages of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). As calves became older, MUFA increased markedly, polyunsaturated fatty acids increased slightly (due to inverse, nearly proportional changes in 18:2 and 18:3), and saturated fatty acids decreased by 10 percentage units (P < .001). Thus, adipose tissue from Brahman and Hereford purebred and crossbred calves became markedly more unsaturated early postweaning; this change was less dramatic in the purebred Hereford calves.

Meat fatty acid composition as affected by fatness and genetic factors: a review

“…Breed differences and associated effects of maturity or growth potential on the subcutaneous or intramuscular fatty acid composition of beef were also reported by Gillis et al [28], Huerta-Leidenz et al [32,33], Malau-Aduli et al [45,46], Mills et al [52], Pitchford et al [63], Rule et al [73] and Siebert et al [80]. Sex effects are also reported regularly.…”

Genetic parameters for fatty acid composition and feed efficiency traits in Japanese Black cattle

“…MP has a high correlation with fatty acid composition and there are reports that fatty acid composition is influenced by sex and age. These studies have confirmed that the fat of heifers tends to be more unsaturated than the fat of steers (Yoshimura and Namikawa, 1985;Zembayashi et al, 1995) and aging increases MUFA (Huerta-Leidenz et al, 1996). Furthermore, effects of breed differences are also reported; purebred Wagyu cattle or the other breeds derived from Wagyu generally tend to have higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acids than other breeds (Yoshimura and Namikawa, 1985;May et al, 1993).…”

“…Fatty acid composition is influenced by sex (Yoshimura and Namikawa, 1985;Zembayashi et al, 1995), diet (Melton et al, 1982;Mandell et al, 1998) and age (Huerta-Leidenz et al, 1996). Genetic influences, such as breed (Yoshimura and Namikawa, 1985;May et al, 1993) and sire (Xie et al, 1996), have also been reported, including sire-based differentiation in Japanese Black cattle (Oka et al, 2002).…”

Differences in intramuscular fatty acid profiles amongBos indicusand crossbredBos taurus × Bos indicusbulls finished on pasture or with concentrate feed in Brazil

“…However, a decline in meat quality, especially meat tenderness, when B. indicus are compared with B. taurus has been widely documented (Wheller et al 2001), and B. indicus also tends to have a slower growth rate than B. taurus (Ferraz & Felicio 2010). Still, results regarding genetic differences in lipid profiles between zebuine and taurine cattle are scarcer, but there are indications that fatty acid profiles differ between B. taurus and B. indicus (Huerta- Leidenz et al 1996). However, these differences are largely dependent on the finishing system used, such that, with grain finishing, meat from B. indicus has higher levels of SFA, but that is not the case with pasture finishing (Bressan et al 2011).…”