Fatty Acid Composition of Bovine Lipids as Influenced by Diet, Sex and Anatomical Location and Relationship to Sensory Characteristics

Abstract

The fatty acid composition of bovine intramusclular and subcutaneous lipids were determined from fat samples obtained from steers and heifers that received three dietary treatments consisting of fescue grass and grain. Cooked samples from the longissimus muscle were evaluated by a sensory panel. Both intramuscular and subcutaneous fat from grass-fed animals contained more saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic, and less unsaturated fatty acids, primarily oleic, than did fat from animals that received a grain diet. Subcutaneous fat contained more palmitic and oleic acids and less linoleic, linolenic, 11-eicosenoic and arachidonic than intramuscular fat. Fat from steer carcasses contained more linoleic and arachidonic than fat from heifer carcasses. Sensory panel scores were negatively associated with total saturated fatty acids, mainly stearic and palmitic which were highest in grass-fed animals, and positively associated with total unsaturated fatty acids, due mainly to the higher levels of oleic of grain-fed animals. Copyright © 1979. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1979 by American Society of Animal Science.