Feeding feedlot steers fish oil alters the fatty acid composition of adipose and muscle tissue

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 77; no. 2; pp. 196 - 203
• Main Authors: Wistuba, T.J., Kegley, E.B., Apple, J.K., Rule, D.C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-10-2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: adipose tissue; beef carcasses; Beef cattle; Biological and medical sciences; cattle feeding; dietary fat; Fat industries; Fatty acid; fatty acid composition; feed concentrates; feedlots; Fish oil; fish oils; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; lipid content; liver; longissimus dorsi; Longissimus thoracis; Meat and meat product industries; meat composition; monounsaturated fatty acids; omega-3 fatty acids; omega-6 fatty acids; polyunsaturated fatty acids; ribs; saturated fatty acids; steers; subcutaneous fat; Beef cattle; Fish oil; Fatty acid; Longissimus thoracis; Bovine; Meat product; Lipids; Edible oil; Fatty acids; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Chemical composition; Muscle; Artiodactyla; Beef; Ungulata
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2007.03.002

Sixteen steers (441
±
31.7
kg initial body weight) consumed two high concentrate diets with either 0 or 3% fish oil to determine the impact of fish oil, an omega-3 fatty acid source, on the fatty acid composition of beef carcasses. Collected tissue samples included the
Longissimus thoracis from the 6th to 7th rib section, ground 10th to 12th rib, liver, subcutaneous adipose tissue adjacent to the 12th rib, intramuscular adipose tissue in the 6th to 7th rib sections, perirenal adipose tissue, and brisket adipose tissue. Including fish oil in the diet increased most of the saturated fatty acids (
P
<
0.01) and proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (
P
<
0.06), and decreased (
P
<
0.01) proportions of monounsaturated fatty acids. Dietary fish oil increased (
P
<
0.01) levels of omega-3 fatty acids in sampled tissues, resulting in lower (
P
<
0.01) omega-6:omega-3 ratios. The weight percentages of C20:5 and C22:6 in tissue may provide the recommended daily allowance for humans. Fish oil may have a role in beef niche marketing if there are no deleterious effects on consumer satisfaction.