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Genetic Background and Diet Impact Beef Fatty Acid Composition and Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase mRNA Expression

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Lipids

Abstract

The intramuscular fat composition of ruminant meats influences the quality of the final product, which explains the increasing interest in assessing the fatty acid profile of meat from different production systems. In this study, it was hypothesized that there are breed- and diet-induced variations on lipid metabolism in the muscle, which may be, at least partially, modulated by the stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) gene expression levels. Forty purebred young bulls from two phylogenetically distant autochthonous cattle breeds, Alentejana and Barrosã (n = 20 for each breed), were assigned to two different diets (low vs. high silage) and slaughtered at 18 months of age. Meat fatty acid composition, including the detailed conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomeric profile, was determined along with the SCD mRNA levels. Meat from Barrosã bulls fed the low silage diet was richer in monounsaturated fatty acids, CLA and trans fatty acids, when compared to that from Alentejana bulls. The meat content in polyunsaturated fatty acids was similar across experimental groups. Moderate positive correlations between the SCD mRNA levels and the products of this enzyme activity were found, although they were not reflected on the calculated desaturase indices. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of taking into account the genetic background while devising feeding strategies to manipulate beef fatty acid composition.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

Alpha linolenic acid (18:3n-3)

cDNA:

Complementary deoxyribonucleic acid

CLA:

Conjugated linoleic acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3)

DPA:

Docosapentaenoic acid (22:5n-3)

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3)

FAME:

Fatty acid methyl ester(s)

GC:

Gas chromatography

HPLC:

High performance liquid chromatography

LL:

Longissimus lumborum

mRNA:

Messenger ribonucleic acid

PPIB:

Peptidylprolyl isomerase B

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

RNA:

Ribonucleic acid

RT-qPCR:

Real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction

SCD:

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase

SFA:

Saturated fatty acid(s)

TFA:

trans Fatty acid(s)

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Acknowledgments

Financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia grant (PTDC/CVT/2006/66114) and individual fellowships to A.S.H. Costa (SFRH/BD/2009/61068) and V.M.R. Pires (SFRH/BPD/2009/64347) are acknowledged. The authors would like to thank the abattoir staff for their cooperation in meat sampling, Susana Alves (L-INIA-REQUIMTE) for fatty acid analysis, and Elisabete Silva for kindly providing primers for the PPIB gene.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CIISA, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, Av. da Universidade Técnica, Pólo Universitário do Alto da Ajuda, 1300-477, Lisboa, Portugal

    Ana S. H. Costa, Marta P. Silva, Cristina P. M. Alfaia, Virgínia M. R. Pires, Carlos M. G. A. Fontes, Rui J. B. Bessa & José A. M. Prates

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  1. Ana S. H. Costa
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  2. Marta P. Silva
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  3. Cristina P. M. Alfaia
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  4. Virgínia M. R. Pires
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  5. Carlos M. G. A. Fontes
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  6. Rui J. B. Bessa
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  7. José A. M. Prates
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Correspondence to José A. M. Prates.

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Costa, A.S.H., Silva, M.P., Alfaia, C.P.M. et al. Genetic Background and Diet Impact Beef Fatty Acid Composition and Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase mRNA Expression. Lipids 48, 369–381 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-013-3776-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-013-3776-4

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