The study of fatty acid (FA) and mineral content in beef is crucial for bridging health and taste. Understanding these components is essential for catering to consumer preferences for nutritious and tasty food, in line with current dietary trends and health recommendations. This holistic view of beef quality is key to helping both producers and consumers make more knowledgeable and health-oriented decisions in meat consumption. The objectives of this study were to 1) characterize the FA composition and mineral concentration of beef from Brangus cattle; 2) estimate their heritability; and 3) calculate the genetic and phenotypic correlations of carcass and meat quality traits to FA composition and mineral concentrations. Brangus steers were evaluated for meat quality and sampled for nutritional content measurements. Brangus cattle had palmitic acid levels as low as 21%, and stearic acid levels as high as 26%, which is notable since stearic acid is considered to have a neutral or potentially beneficial impact on cholesterol levels, unlike other saturated fats. Additionally, Brangus cattle had oleic acid levels as high as 53%, a beneficial monounsaturated fat, and linoleic acid concentrations as high as 12%, an essential omega-6 FA. Saturated FA showed weak negative correlations (-0.06 to -0.15) with hot carcass weight, marbling, and fat over ribeye, similar to polyunsaturated FA which had moderate negative correlations (-0.19 to -0.37) with these traits. Conversely, monounsaturated FA was positively correlated (0.16 to 0.34) with these traits, suggesting that higher levels of monounsaturated FA, particularly oleic acid, are associated with improved meat quality and consumer-desirable traits such as increased marbling. This relationship where higher marbling is linked with increased monounsaturated FA and decreased saturated FA is unique in Brangus cattle, differing from other breeds where increased intramuscular fat typically raises FA saturation levels. The variation in FA observed in Brangus cattle highlights the breed's potential to provide nutritionally enriched beef. With selective breeding, it may be possible to improve both the nutritional value and marbling of the meat, meeting consumer demand for healthier, tastier options. Overall, the study underscores the intricate relationships between FA composition, mineral content, and meat quality, with implications for breeding and nutrition strategies aimed at improving meat quality and healthfulness.

中文翻译：

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探讨脂肪酸组成对 Bos taurus indicus 影响牛胴体和肉品质的影响


对牛肉中脂肪酸 （FA） 和矿物质含量的研究对于弥合健康和口味至关重要。了解这些成分对于满足消费者对营养和美味食品的偏好至关重要，这符合当前的饮食趋势和健康建议。这种对牛肉质量的整体看法是帮助生产商和消费者在肉类消费方面做出更明智和以健康为导向的决策的关键。本研究的目的是 1） 表征 Brangus 牛牛肉的 FA 组成和矿物质浓度;2） 估计它们的遗传力;3） 计算胴体和肉品质性状与 FA 组成和矿物质浓度的遗传和表型相关性。对 Brangus 公牛进行肉质评估并取样以进行营养成分测量。布兰格斯牛的棕榈酸水平低至 21%，硬脂酸水平高达 26%，这值得注意，因为与其他饱和脂肪不同，硬脂酸被认为对胆固醇水平有中性或潜在有益的影响。此外，Brangus 牛的油酸水平高达 53%，这是一种有益的单不饱和脂肪，亚油酸浓度高达 12%，是一种必需的 omega-6 FA。饱和 FA 与热胴体重量、大理石花纹和肋眼脂肪呈弱负相关（-0.06 至 -0.15），类似于多不饱和 FA，与这些性状具有中等负相关（-0.19 至 -0.37）。相反，单不饱和 FA 与这些性状呈正相关 （0.16 至 0.34），表明更高水平的单不饱和 FA，尤其是油酸，与肉质改善和消费者理想的性状（如大理石花纹增加）有关。 这种较高的大理石花纹与单不饱和脂肪酸增加和饱和脂肪酸降低相关的关系在 Brangus 牛中是独一无二的，与其他品种不同，其他品种的肌内脂肪增加通常会提高 FA 饱和度水平。在 Brangus 牛中观察到的 FA 变化凸显了该品种提供营养丰富的牛肉的潜力。通过选择性育种，有可能提高肉的营养价值和大理石花纹，满足消费者对更健康、更美味的选择的需求。总体而言，该研究强调了 FA 组成、矿物质含量和肉质之间的复杂关系，对旨在提高肉质和健康的育种和营养策略具有影响。