Fatty Acid Composition of Bovine Skeletal Muscle Lipids during Growth

Abstract

The relative fatty acid composition of bovine intramuscular lipids was determined in two trials from muscle biopsies obtained from steers and heifers at various stages of growth. Seventeen fatty acids were identified of which 11 were different (P<.05) between animals of the two trials. The fatty acid composition was nearly identical between steers and heifers of the same age, even though degree of fatness was different. The polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found primarily in the phospholipid fraction, decreased in proportion to the other fatty acids with increasing animal age and concomitant increases in intramuscular neutral lipid deposition. Changes in the relative amounts of 14:0, 16:0, 17:0 and 18:1 fatty acids during growth were related to the season of the year rather than animal age with the saturated fatty acids higher in the summer and lower during the winter.