Sex effect on the fatty acid profile and chemical composition of meat from beef cattle fed a whole shelled corn diet

oleh: E. O. C. Santana, R. R. Silva, J. I. Simionato, G. Trindade Júnior, T. O. J. D'A. Lins, G. D. da Costa, B. M. A. D. C. Mesquita, H. D. R. Alba, G. G. P. de Carvalho

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: Copernicus Publications 2023-01-01

Deskripsi

<p>This study aimed to evaluate the effect of sex on the chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and nutritional indexes of the <i>Longissimus lumborum</i> muscle of feedlot cattle fed a whole shelled corn diet. A total of 40 Nellore cattle were used, of which 20 animals were uncastrated bulls and 20 were heifers, with an average body weight of 411 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 20.82 and 274 <span class="inline-formula">±</span> 17.80 kg, respectively. The diet was composed of 85 % whole shelled corn and 15 % protein–vitamin–mineral supplement. The chemical composition, fatty acid profile, and the nutritional value of the meat of the animals were evaluated. The chemical composition of the <i>Longissimus lumborum</i> muscle was similar among sexes (<span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i>&gt;0.05</span>). Differences were observed in the saturated (17 : 0, 18 : 0, and 21 : 0) and monounsaturated (16 : 1 <i>cis</i>-9, 17 : 1 <i>cis</i>-10, 18 : 1 <i>cis</i>-9, and 18 : 1 <i>trans</i>-7) fatty acid composition between sexes (<span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i>&lt;0.05</span>), and the polyunsaturated fatty acid (18 : 2 <i>cis</i>-9 and <i>cis</i>-12, 18:2 <i>cis</i>-9 and <i>trans</i>-11, 20 : 3 <i>n</i>-6, and 22 : 6 <i>n</i>-3) content also showed sex differences (<span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i>&lt;0.05</span>). The total number of saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher in bulls, and the total number of monounsaturated fatty acids was higher in heifers (<span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i>&lt;0.05</span>). Indicators of nutritional quality, such as the <i>n</i>-6 : <i>n</i>-3 ratio, thrombogenicity index, and <span class="inline-formula">Δ</span>-9-desaturase C14, <span class="inline-formula">Δ</span>-9-desaturase C16, and <span class="inline-formula">Δ</span>-9-desaturase C18 indexes, were different between the sexes (<span class="inline-formula"><i>p</i>&lt;0.05</span>). In conclusion, sex was not found to influence chemical composition but did affect the fatty acid profile and nutritional indexes in the meat of feedlot cattle fed a whole shelled corn diet.</p>