Eating quality of “Vitela Tradicional do Montado”-PGI veal and Mertolenga-PDO veal and beef

Physicochemical and sensory characteristics were measured in veal and beef from the Portuguese Mertolenga breed having 3 quality labels as follows: Mertolenga-PDO beef and veal which apply to purebred animals and “Vitela Tradicional do Montado”-PGI veal which applies to crossbred animals. Measurements were made in longissimus lumborum muscle aged for 6 days. The temperature 3 h post-mortem (T₃), cooking losses and Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) reflected carcass weight (CW) differences between groups. The pigment content was influenced by age, with beef having higher values than veal. WBSF correlated negatively with intramuscular fat in Mertolenga-PDO beef, but not on veal. WBSF correlated positively with cooking losses and negatively with myofibrillar fragmentation index, tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability. Cooking losses and juiciness were the main contributors for the tenderness differences. Vitela Tradicional do Montado-PGI and Mertolenga-PDO veal had lighter colour and were considered tender. The three meat types were well discriminated based on pH_u, a* and C* parameters by canonical discriminant analysis.     

Seasonal changes and muscle type effect on the nutritional quality of intramuscular fat in Mirandesa-PDO veal

The influence of slaughter season and muscle type on the detailed fatty acid composition, including conjugated linoleic acid isomers, and contents of total cholesterol and lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamins (α-tocopherol and β-carotene) in Mirandesa-PDO veal was assessed. Mirandesa purebred calves (n = 29) were raised in a traditional production semi-extensive system, slaughtered in late spring (June) or early autumn (October) and the longissimus lumborum and semitendinosus muscles were sampled for analysis. Although the lipid composition of PDO veal was only slightly affected by the slaughter season, it was markedly changed by the muscle type. However, PDO veal had values of pasture-fed cattle for lipid grass intake indicators, in both seasons and muscles. From a human health standpoint, intramuscular fat in Mirandesa-PDO veal has a high nutritional value throughout the year, with favorable ratios of n− 6/n− 3 and contents of n− 3 PUFA and α-tocopherol, as a result of the beneficial effects of grass feeding.     

Simultaneous HPLC quantification of total cholesterol,tocopherols and β-carotene in Barrosã-PDO veal

A simple, rapid and sensitive procedure for the simultaneous determination of total cholesterol, tocopherols and β-carotene in meat is described. The method involves a direct saponification of the meat, a single n-hexane extraction and the analysis of the extracted compounds by normal-phase HPLC, using fluorescence (tocopherols) and UV–Vis photodiode array (cholesterol and β-carotene) detections in tandem. Rates of recovery of spiked meat samples were 93% for cholesterol, 83–86% for (α-, β- and -γ) tocopherols and 89% for β-carotene. Repeatabilities were high (CV < 6%) for all determined compounds, except for δ-tocopherol. This tocopherol, which is not usually present in meat, showed a much lower recovery percentage (73%) and repeatability (12.8%). This methodology was applied for the quantification of total cholesterol, tocopherols and β-carotene in three muscles (longissimus thoracis, longissimus lumborum and semitendinosus) of the Portuguese traditional Barrosã-PDO veal, obtained from autochthonous calves fed extensively during summer (with the least abundant green pastures) and slaughtered in early autumn (October). Barrosã-PDO veal showed median contents of total cholesterol (0.50–0.56 mg/g) and, depending on the analysed muscle, moderate to high contents of α-tocopherol (3.3–3.9 μg/g) and β-carotene (0.07–0.09 μg/g), suggesting an high sensorial and hygienic quality.     

Effect of cooking methods on fatty acids,conjugated isomers of linoleic acid and nutritional quality of beef intramuscular fat

The effect of boiling, microwaving and grilling on the composition and nutritional quality of beef intramuscular fat from cattle fed with two diets was investigated. Longissimus lumborum muscle from 15 Alentejano young bulls fed on concentrate or pasture was analyzed. Cooking losses and, consequently, total lipids, increased directly with the cooking time and internal temperature reached by meat (microwaving > boiling > grilling). The major changes in fatty acid composition, which implicated 16 out of 34 fatty acids, resulted in higher percentages in cooked beef of SFA and MUFA and lower proportions of PUFA, relative to raw meat, while conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers revealed a great stability to thermal processes. Heating decreased the PUFA/SFA ratio of meat but did not change its n−6/n−3 index. Thermal procedures induced only slight oxidative changes in meat immediately after treatment but hardly affected the true retention values of its individual fatty acids (72–168%), including CLA isomers (81–128%).     

Cooking effect on fatty acid profile of pork breakfast sausages enriched in conjugated linoleic acid by dietary supplementation or direct addition

The effectiveness of increasing CLA in pork products through animal dietary supplementation or direct addition in the product formulation has been studied, and the effect of grilling on dry matter and fat contents and fatty acid composition has been analysed. Sausages made with meat and back fat from pigs with CLA dietary supplementation had the highest saturated fatty acid content. Sausages from dietary supplementation and direct addition had CLA levels between 6% and 7% of total fatty acids. Moisture and fat contents decreased and increased respectively after cooking for the three sausage types (control, dietary supplementation, direct addition). Grilling had little effect on fatty acid levels, especially for sausages with direct addition in the product formulation. In general, saturated fatty acids increased and poly-unsaturated fatty acids decreased due to the increase of C16:0 and to the decrease of C18:2 n − 6c and C18:3 n − 3 fatty acids. Added CLA, both from animal dietary supplementation or direct addition, remained at similar levels in cooked sausages to those found in raw sausages.     

Effect of dietary inclusion of triticale dried distillers' grain and oilseeds on quality and fatty acid profile of meat from feedlot steers

This study compared carcass, meat quality and fatty acid profiles of longissimus thoracis (LT) from feedlot cattle fed barley grain with or without oilseed (OS). Six diets containing no oilseed (No-OS), 10% ground flaxseed (FS), 10% high oleate sunflower seeds (SS) with or without 30% triticale dried distiller's grain (DDGS) were prepared. Feeding DDGS increased chroma at 24 and 144 h post mortem. Feeding FS increased weight% of LT PUFA (P < 0.05) compared to No-OS or SS. An OS by DDGS interaction occurred for 18:3n − 3 (P < 0.05) where FS increased weight% of 18:3n − 3 (P < 0.05), a response accentuated (P < 0.05) by DDGS. Feeding DDGS increased weight% of LT 18:2n − 6 (P < 0.05), but neither OS nor DDGS affected conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, t7,c9 & c9,t11-18:2). Feeding FS increased weight% of n − 3 FA, and both FS and SS increased t10-18:1 with no effect on CLA or t11-18:1. Combination feeding of DDGS and FS further increased weight% of n − 3 FA and tempered increases in t10-18:1 with no effect on CLA or t11-18:1. The findings suggest a new strategy to increase beef omega-3 fatty acids efficiently through inclusion of a combination of DDGS and FS in feedlot diet.     

Compositional characteristics and nutritional quality of Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis)

Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) was analyzed for proximate composition, minerals, amino acids and fatty acid composition, and also evaluated for nutritional quality. The yields of crab meat and edible viscera were 24.2% and 9.2%, respectively. The crab meat contained 18.9% crude protein. About 80% of the protein resided in the crab meat portion, while about 90% of the fat was in the viscera. Chinese mitten crab was an excellent source of minerals, particularly zinc, iron, copper and phosphorus. The crab protein contained high amounts of glutamic acid (151 mg/g), aspartic acid (99 mg/g), arginine (99 mg/g), lysine (81 mg/g) and leucine (77 mg/g), and it was a high quality protein with well-balanced essential amino acid compositions. Twenty six fatty acids were found in the crab oil. The monounsaturated fatty acids were predominant with a percentage of 49.8. Oleic acid (18:1) was the dominant fatty acid, followed by palmitoleic acid (16:1), palmitic acid (16:0) and linoleic acid (18:2n − 6); and the percentages were 31.0, 14.3, 14.2 and 11.9, respectively. The ratio of n − 6/n − 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was 2.2, and this is a n − 3 PUFA-rich food. In short, the results showed that Chinese mitten crab is a nutritious food.     

Nutritional composition of the meat of Hereford and Braford steers finished on pastures or in a feedlot in southern Brazil

Chemical and mineral composition and the intramuscular fatty acid (IMF) profile of the Longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) of 60 purebred Hereford, 1/4 Braford and 3/8 Braford steers finished either in a feedlot or on improved pastures of the Pampa biome were evaluated. Pastures were improved with the introduction of Lolium multiflorum, Trifolium repens, and Lotus corniculatus. On average, beef from pasture-fed steers presented higher concentrations of the fatty acids C18:3n − 3 (P < 0.001), C20:3n − 3 (P = 0.035), total n − 3 (P < 0.001) and lower n − 6/n − 3 ratio (P < 0.001) in the IMF, and higher Mg and lower K content in muscle relative to those finished in the feedlot. C12:0 concentration in IMF was higher (P = 0.027) for 3/8 Braford than the purebred Hereford steers, whereas purebred Herefords presented lower C14:1 (P = 0.003) and higher C18:0 (P = 0.022) concentrations than the two Braford groups. The meat composition of purebred Hereford and Braford steers was not substantially different; however, beef produced exclusively on improved pastures presented higher concentration of components that are considered beneficial to human health, such as n − 3 fatty acids, and a lower n − 6/n − 3 ratio.     

α-Tocopherol stereoisomers in beef as an indicator of vitamin E supplementation in cattle diets

These studies investigated the potential application of analysis of stereoisomers of α-tocopherol to discriminate between beef from animals raised at pasture or fed concentrates containing synthetic vitamin E. Muscle α-tocopherol levels were affected (P < 0.05) by diet with mean values of 2.63, 1.14, 2.43 and 1.77 μg g⁻¹ muscle for beef from animals receiving pasture only (P), a barley-based concentrate with synthetic vitamin E (C), winter silage followed by summer pasture (SiP) and winter silage followed by summer pasture with concentrate (SiPC), respectively. Stereoisomeric analysis of α-tocopherol permitted discrimination between beef from the P/SiP, C and SiPC animals. In a comparison of Irish and non-Irish beef, Brazilian beef had higher (P < 0.05) α-tocopherol (8.13 μg g⁻¹) than beef from Austria, England, France, Germany, the U.S. and Ireland (mean 2.51 μg g⁻¹). Stereoisomeric analysis of α-tocopherol in non-Irish beef revealed supplementation with synthetic vitamin E in all samples, including the samples marketed as pasture-fed beef.     

Meat quality attributes of the Longissimus lumborum muscle of the Kh'ara genotype of llama (Lama glama) reared extensively in northern Chile

Twenty male llama of the Kh'ara genotype, reared extensively in the north of Chile, were slaughtered at ages between 2 and 4 permanent teeth (2 to 3.5 years) and analyses were carried out on the Longissimus lumborum muscle, including composition (moisture, fat, protein, ash, cholesterol, amino acids, fatty acid profile and collagen content) and meat quality parameters (pH, color, water holding capacity and Warner–Bratzler shear-force). Llama meat was characterized by a low cholesterol (39.04 mg/100 g) and intramuscular fat (1.56%) content, a total collagen content of 6.28 mg/g, of which 20.28% was soluble collagen. Amino acid composition and fatty acid profile were similar to those found for beef finished on forage. Llama meat showed a low n − 6/n − 3 (4.69) and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (1.55) ratio and acceptable values of DFA (65.78%). Quality parameters in llama Longissimus muscle were within the ranges reported for more traditional meats such as beef and lamb.     

Fatty acid compositions of selected varieties of Spanish dry ham related to their nutritional implications

Five varieties of Spanish dry cured ham were studied to assess their nutritional value in relation to fatty acids. Ten hams of the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) “Jamón Serrano”, and the Protected Designations of Origin (PDO) “Jamón de Teruel”, “Dehesa de Extremadura”, “Jamón de Huelva” and “Guijuelo”, were analysed. Iberian hams (“Dehesa de Extremadura”, “Jamón de Huelva” and “Guijuelo”) were characterised by a lower proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and a significantly higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) than white hams (“Jamón Serrano” and “Jamón de Teruel”). The Iberian varieties also showed a high proportion (approximately 50%) of C18:1 n − 9, while “Jamón Serrano” showed the highest percentage of C18:2n−6. The PUFA/SFA (P/S) ratio of the five varieties was ? 0.19, with the highest ratio corresponding to “Jamón Serrano” (0.3). The n−6/n−3 ratio was in the order of 13/1 in “Jamón Serrano” and “Jamón de Huelva”, and ranged from 9.3/1 to 10.3/1 in the other varieties. The most favourable hypocholesterolemic/Hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio (?2.5) was found in the Iberian varieties. TSG “Serrano” was shown to supply the lowest percentage of the recommended daily intake of MUFA, the Iberian varieties showed the highest percentage of the daily intake of long-chain PUFA, and PDO “Dehesa de Extremadura” showed the highest percentage of the intake of C18:3n−3. The higher MUFA proportion and h/H ratio observed in the Iberian hams, together with their contribution to the recommended daily intake of fatty acids, would make these products more suitable for healthier diets, although consumption must be recommended in moderation.     

Effect of weaning status on lipids of Galician Blond veal: Total fatty acids and 18:1 cis and trans isomers

The effect of weaning at different ages (NW = not weaned, W5 = 5.5 months and W2 = 2 months) on fatty acids (FA) of the Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle was studied in 36 Galician Blond (GB) calves. Total FA (TFA) were determined by gas chromatography (GC) and 18:1 isomers by a combination of reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and GC. NW group showed higher (P < 0.001) values of n-3 polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and 18:1trans-11 compared to LT from W5 and W2 calves. W2 calves showed the highest levels of n-6 PUFA (P < 0.01), 18:1trans-10 and 18:1trans-6/7/8 (P < 0.001). Generally, W5 calves had intermediate values for TFA and 18:1 isomers. As the suckling period was longer, GB milk and veal FA profiles became more similar, it seems that muscle FA were partially transmitted by the milk FA intake due to the persistence of the reticular grove closing reflex.     

Effect of slaughter season on fatty acid composition, conjugated linoleic acid isomers and nutritional value of intramuscular fat in Barrosã-PDO veal

This paper describes the influence of slaughter season on lipid content, fatty acid composition, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomeric profile and nutritional value of fat in Barrosã veal from calves reared according to the specifications of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). Barrosã purebred calves (n = 27) were raised in a traditional production system and slaughtered in early autumn (October) and late spring (June). Barrosã-PDO veal only presented seasonal differences in the levels of some minor fatty acids and CLA isomers, as well as in the PUFA/SFA ratio. Based on the analysed grass intake indicators, it was shown that veal-PDO has similar values to pasture-fed cattle for both slaughter seasons. From a human nutrition perspective, intramuscular fat in Barrosã-PDO veal has a high nutritional value throughout the year, since CLA contents and the percentages of the c9,t11 isomer are relatively high, and the n − 6/n − 3 ratios are within the recommended values for the human diet.     

Enriching the egg yolk in n − 3 fatty acids by feeding hens with diets containing horse fat produced in Uruguay

The present study was conducted to evaluate the ability of horse fat produced in Uruguay, compared with other lipid sources supplemented in the diet of laying hens, to modify the lipid composition and the n − 6/n − 3 fatty acid ratio of the produced eggs. For this purpose, 60 laying hens (Gallus domesticus) were fed for 30 days with five experimental diets (12 hens/diet) containing 3% sunflower oil (SO), rice oil (RO), beef tallow (BT), pressed-fat (PF), obtained by pressing fat from bovine viscera, and horse fat (HF) obtained from horse bone medulla. Throughout the trial, feeding rate, shell index, weight and total lipid contents of eggs, were not affected by the different diets. Feeding on the SO and RO diets significantly increased the amount of linoleic acid of the egg, although it was lower in the RO than in the SO eggs. Diet BT did not affect the saturated fatty acid content of the yolks. The diets with animal fats containing 18:3n − 3 (diets PF and HF), resulted in a significant increase in the n − 3 fatty acid contents of the eggs, through an increase of linolenic (18:3n − 3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n − 3) contents. Eggs from hens fed the HF diet showed increased linolenic acid (46 mg/yolk) and DHA (71 mg/yolk, 1.7% of total fatty acids) contents. These levels were obtained after two weeks of feeding. Moreover, the fatty acid profiles of eggs from treatment HF were not significantly affected by thermal treatment of the yolks. In conclusion, the fat from horse bone medulla, as produced in Uruguay, can be considered as a suitable lipid source for diets of laying hens, to modify the nutritional composition of the eggs in n − 3 PUFA content, especially DHA, and consequently, the n − 6/n − 3 fatty acid ratio.     

Beef quality attributes as affected by increasing the intramuscular levels of vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids

In order to investigate the effects of increasing beef n-3 fatty acid content and the protective effects of vitamin E antioxidant activity on meat quality characteristics, 80 feedlot steers were fed 4 different diets (control, high vitamin E, 10% ground flaxseed or high vitamin E-10% ground flaxseed). While dietary treatments had no effect (P > 0.05) on meat composition or tenderness values, the increase in oxidation products was lower (P = 0.046) in meat from vitamin E supplemented steers and higher (P = 0.006) in meat from flaxseed fed animals. The increase in α-tocopherol tissue levels (P < 0.001) in meat from animals fed flaxseed and increased dietary vitamin E resulted in the lowest drip loss values (P = 0.013). As expected, display time had a large effect on retail traits in both steaks and patties (P < 0.001). While retail traits of steaks were not affected by the dietary treatments (P > 0.05), feeding flaxseed decreased (P < 0.05) ground beef retail scores, which were not corrected by higher levels of dietary vitamin E. Finally, although no effect (P > 0.05) was observed among treatments for sensory attributes in steaks, the correlations of a combined n-3:α-tocopherol ratio against retail and sensory attributes (P < 0.05) suggest that increased n-3 fatty acids levels require increased dietary antioxidants, such as vitamin E to avoid negative effects on meat quality from a loss in oxidative stability.     

Identification of QTL with effects on fatty acid composition of meat in a Charolais × Holstein cross population

A whole-genome scan was carried out to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing beef fatty acid composition using a Charolais × Holstein population established using a balanced F2 and Backcross breeding design. The phenotypes considered in this study included a total of 24 fatty acid related traits determined in loin muscle samples of the 235 second-generation cross-bred bull calves of the herd. The QTL regression analysis performed, based on 165 microsatellite markers distributed across the 29 bovine autosomes, identified 34 QTL with F-ratios exceeding the 5% chromosome-wide significance threshold. Three of these QTL, one located on chromosome 1 (for the content on linoleic acid, C18:2n−6) and two on chromosome 10 (for the content of gamma-linoleic DPA-docosapentaenoic and DPA-docosapentaenoic, C20:3n−6 and C22:5n−3), also exceeded the 5% genome-wide significance level. A follow-up analysis correcting for intramuscular fat content showed that some of the QTL detected initially (e.g. those localised on chromosome 22) were influenced by fat deposition differences between the founder breeds. The coincident location of some of the linkage associations identified and QTL previously reported for beef fatty acid composition and other meat quality traits, in the same or other cattle populations, provides supporting evidence for the results reported here.     

Chemical composition and inherent properties of offal from calves maintained under two production systems

The aim was to evaluate the influence of organ and calf type on the chemical composition, mineral concentration, fatty acid profile and inherent properties in offal. Organ type influenced (p < 0.01) all evaluated characteristics, whereas calf type to a lesser extent affected mineral content. The highest contents of K, Zn and Fe were found in liver. The heart of veal calves contained the highest contents of Mg and Mn. In addition, the most favorable fatty acid profile was also found in hearts, by reason of the lowest SFA and highest PUFA percentage and h/H ratio. Significantly higher values of PUFA percentage, PUFA/SFA ratio, and content of CLA were found in organs of suckler beef, which is associated with the beneficial effects of grazing on the fatty acid profile. Results could help to increase the consumption of calves' offal and its utilization in meat processing.     

Fatty acid profile,carcass and meat quality traits of young Nellore bulls fed crude glycerin replacing energy sources in the concentrate

Carcass and meat quality traits of 60 Nellore young bulls fed diets without crude glycerin (CG); with CG replacing corn (CGc; 10% of dry matter — DM) in the concentrate; and with CG replacing soybean hull (CGsh; 10% of DM) in the concentrate were evaluated. Diets were evaluated at two concentrate levels (CLs). The CL did not affect cold carcass weight (CCW; P = 0.6074), cold carcass dressing (CCD; P = 0.9636), rib fat thickness (RFT; P = 0.8696) and longissimus muscle area (LMA; P = 0.7524). Animals fed diets with CGc or CGsh showed meat with greater deposition of monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA; P = 0.0022) and CLA (18:2 cis-9, trans-11) contents (P = 0.0001) than animals fed diets without CG. The inclusion of 10% of CG in diets CGc or CGsh does not affect the carcass and meat quality traits; however, it increases the MUFA and CLA contents in beef, although these changes are very small in nutritional terms.     

Δ desaturase protein expression and fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi muscle in lambs fed green herbage or concentrate with or without added tannins

The aims of this study were to investigate the effect of feeding system and of supplementation of tannins (8.93% DM) on the relationship between intramuscular fat content, fatty acid composition and Δ⁹desaturase (Δ⁹d) protein expression in longissimus dorsi muscle of lamb. Twenty-eight Comisana lambs (age 45 days) were fed either vetch (Vicia sativa) or concentrate. The herbage diet was (i) lower in saturated fatty acids (especially in C16:0), C18:1 n−9 and in C18:2 n−6; (ii) higher in C16:1 and C18:3 n−3 when compared to concentrate. Within each feeding system the lambs were divided into two sub-groups, one of which received the diet without tannins supplementation, and the other was fed the diets supplemented with the tannins from Quebracho (Schinopsis lorentzii). The animals were slaughtered at age 105 days. The concentrate feeding system increased (p < 0.01) the total intramuscular fat content and the amount of SFA, MUFA and n−6 PUFA and decreased the level of n−3 PUFA (p = 0.05) when compared to the vetch-fed animals but did not affect Δ⁹ desaturase protein expression. There was no correlation between Δ⁹d protein expression and total intramuscular fatty acids, CLA and MUFA level. It was suggested that in ruminants, in contrast to monogastric animals, Δ⁹d expression does not play the key role in intramuscular fatty acids formation. Tannins supplementation resulted in higher (p < 0.05) muscle levels of transC18:1 and C18:2 n−6. It has also increased Δ⁹d expression in the case of herbage-based diet but not in the case of concentrate-based diet. The mechanism of tannins action on the enzyme expression needs to be elucidated.     

Effect of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) or Olea europaea (olive) leaves on oxidative stability of rabbit meat fortified with n-3 fatty acids

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) or Olea europaea (olive tree) leaves on oxidative stability of rabbit meat fortified with n-3 fatty acids. Forty-eight slovenska kunka (SIKA) rabbits were divided into four homogeneous groups. The control group ( CONT−) received diet with 6% palm fat; other groups received diet with 6% linseed oil and were either unsupplemented (CONT +) or supplemented with 1% of G. lucidum (REISHI) or O. europaea leaves (OLIVE). Rabbits were slaughtered and fatty acid composition, concentration of vitamin E and malondialdehyde (MDA) in back muscle were analyzed. The results showed that linseed oil addition improved fatty acid composition by increasing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) proportion, decreasing proportion of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and reducing n-6/n-3 ratio in rabbit meat. Groups that were supplemented with linseed oil had lower content of α-tocopherol and higher content of γ-tocopherol, compared to the CONT − group. The addition of potential antioxidants did not effectively prevent oxidation of rabbit meat.