Variation of carnitine concentrations in Angus beef

Abstract

The objective of this study was to quantify the naturally occurring L‐carnitine, acylated carntine, and total carnitine in Angus beef. Our ultimate goal is to optimize the genotype of an animal to select beef cattle with high carnitine concentration. Discovery samples were collected from 1,056 purebred Angus bulls, steers, and heifers beef from different parts of the US. These samples were used to quantify forms of carnitine in beef. Additionally, about 1,000 validation samples were collected to validate discovery data. The spectrophotometric and enzymatic quantification was used to determine the concentration of different forms of carnitine. Concentration of L‐carnitine (3.4 ± 0.032 μmol/g) was approximately 4‐fold of that of acylated carnitine (0.87 ± 0.005 μmol/g). Also, L‐carnitine ranges from 1.56 to 3.63 μmol/g, acylated carnitine ranges from 0.60 to 0.90 μmol/g, and total carnitine ranges from 2.1 to 4.5 μmol/g. In summary, beef from some cattle contains two times more total carnitine than from other cattle and thus we are interested in further investigating genetic or managerial controls of carnitine to produce beef high in carnitine for carnitine‐conscious consumers. Funding source. PFIZER Animal Genetics Company

Endogenous functional compounds in Korean native chicken meat are dependent on sex, thermal processing and meat cut

“…Furthermore, the carnitine content of plasma and of the heart and skeletal muscles was higher in male than in female rats . In addition, it was reported that the carnitine content increased with the age of the animal . Hence the contradictory result found in this study compared with previous experiments regarding the effect of sex on carnitine content of meat is likely be due to the differences in age of the animals.…”

“…34 In addition, it was reported that the carnitine content increased with the age of the animal. 33 Hence the contradictory result found in this study compared with previous experiments regarding the effect of sex on carnitine content of meat is likely be due to the differences in age of the animals. However, future studies are required to confirm this phenomenon.…”

“…In contrast to our result showing a comparable carnitine content between male and female KNCs, several other researchers have demonstrated an effect of sex on the carnitine content of meat from several other species. Males of the Angus breed of cattle have been shown to have a higher carnitine content in their beef than female cattle . Furthermore, the carnitine content of plasma and of the heart and skeletal muscles was higher in male than in female rats .…”

“…Males of the Angus breed of cattle have been shown to have a higher carnitine content in their beef than female cattle. 33 Furthermore, the carnitine content of plasma and of the heart and skeletal muscles was higher in male than in female rats. 34 In addition, it was reported that the carnitine content increased with the age of the animal.…”

Proximate Composition, and L-Carnitine and Betaine Contents in Meat from Korean Indigenous Chicken

“…The skeletal muscles of male rats had high l -carnitine content compared with those of female rats ( Borum, 1978 ). Abuzaid (2010) found a higher l -carnitine content in beef from male Angus than in that from female Angus.…”