Original scientific paper

The chemical compositions and fatty acid profile of the longissimus dorsi muscle in young Simmental bulls.

Igor Štoković ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Kristina Starčević ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Ivo Karadjole ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Dubravka Križanović ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Pero Božić ; Croatian Livestock Reproduction Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
Maja Maurić ; Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The objective of this paper was to analyse the carcass characteristics (live weight at slaughter, hot and cold carcass weight, fat weight and fat ratio in cold carcass weight), chemical composition and fatty acid profile of the Simmental cattle longissimus dorsi muscle (MLD). The experiment was carried out on 20 young bulls (sons of sires in progeny testing for meat quality). The average live weight at slaughter (LWS) was 555 ± 12.47 kg, hot carcass weight (HCW) 332.6 ± 7.88 kg, cold carcass weight (CCW) 331.3 ± 8.43 kg, fat weight 15.9 ± 0.81 kg, fat ratio in CCW was 4.89 ± 0.23%. The average chemical composition of MLD was as follows: dry matter 24.84 ± 0.17%, water 75.16 ± 0.17%, protein 20.46 ± 0.26%, intramuscular fat 3.28 ± 0.06% and ash 1.11 ± 0.01%. Linear correlation was calculated for all parameters and high correlations were found between LWS, HCW and CCW, as expected, but there was no significant effect of LWS on the chemical composition of the longissimus dorsi muscle. Intramuscular fat (IMF) consisted on average of 48.04 ± 0.59%, 47.58 ± 0.71% and 4.16 ± 0.25% of total fatty acids (FA) as saturated fatty acids (SFA), mono unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and poly unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), respectively. The PUFA/SFA ratio for beef was low, at around 0.1, similar to that reported by other authors. As expected, the level of MUFA correlated highly with the Δ9-desaturase (18) index (r = 0.84) and elongation index (r = 0.54). Statistically significant correlations between specific fatty acids, LWS, fat and IMF were generally weak. The percentages found of SFA and PUFA, as well as the PUFA/SFA ratio, were in accordance with results reported by other authors but still unfavourable for human health. To improve the unfavourable characteristics of beef, further study should include genetic parameters that affect the FA composition of beef beside the other factors mentioned above.

Keywords

Simmental cattle; longissimus dorsi; chemical composition; faatty acid

Hrčak ID:

99722

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/99722

Publication date:

28.3.2013.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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