Comparing Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue in Beef and Muskox with Emphasis on trans 18:1 and Conjugated Linoleic Acids

• Published in: Lipids
• Main Authors: Dugan, Michael E. R., Kramer, John K. G., Robertson, Wayne M., Meadus, William J., Aldai, Noelia, Rolland, David C.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2007
• Subjects: muskox; ovibos moschatus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11745-007-3051-7; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1007/s11745-007-3051-7

Abstract Muskox ( Ovibos moschatus ) are ruminant animals native to the far north and little is known about their fatty acid composition. Subcutaneous adipose tissue (backfat) from 16 wild muskox was analyzed and compared to backfat from 16 barley fed beef cattle. Muskox backfat composition differed substantially from beef and the most striking difference was a high content of 18:0 (26.8 vs. 9.77%). This was accompanied by higher levels of most other saturated fatty acids except beef had more 16:0. Muskox backfat also had a lower level of cis ‐18:1 and this was related to a lower expression of steroyl‐CoA desaturase mRNA. Beef backfat had a higher level of total trans ‐18:1 (4.25 vs. 2.67%). The most prominent trans ‐18:1 isomers in beef backfat were 10 t ‐18:1 (2.13%) and 11 t ‐18:1 (0.77%) whereas the most prominent isomers in muskox backfat were 11 t ‐18:1 (1.41%), 13 t /14 t ‐ (0.27%) and 16 t ‐18:1 (0.23%). The total conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content was higher in beef backfat than muskox (0.67 vs. 0.50%) with 9 c ,11 t ‐18:2 as the most abundant CLA isomer. The second most abundant CLA isomer in beef backfat was 7 t ,9 c ‐18:2 (0.10%) whereas in muskox it was 11 t 13 c ‐18:2 (0.04%). Muskox backfat had a higher content of 18:3n‐3 and its elongation and desaturation products 20:5n‐3, 22:5n‐3 and 22:6n‐3 and a lower n‐6/n‐3 ratio. Overall, the high forage diet of muskox seemed to produce a healthier fatty acid profile and highlighted the need to develop feeding strategies for intensively raising beef that will not negatively impacting fatty acid composition.