Effect of feeding intensity and time on feed on intramuscular fatty acid composition of Simmental bulls

Seventy-two Simmental bulls, weighing 489 kg initially and approximately 15 months old, were divided into four groups to determine the effects of feeding intensity and time on feed on intramuscular fatty acid (FA) composition. Two groups of 18 bulls each were extensively (E) or intensively (I) fed on maize silage and concentrates with a daily gain of 943 g (E) or 1371 g (I). Half of each group were slaughtered after 100 days (S) or 138 days (L) on feed. In addition to carcass fatness parameters, intramuscular FA composition was also measured. Only small differences in the sum of saturated FA (SFA) percentages were found with 47.7 and 47.5% FA methyl esters (FAME) for SE and LE, respectively, and 48.7% FAME for each of SI and LI. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) significantly increased with longer, and higher feeding intensity to 44.2% FAME (LI), whereas the other groups had similar contents of 41.9, 42.2 and 42.0% FAME (SE, LE and SI respectively). Polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) decreased with higher feeding intensity to 8.39% (SI) and 6.71% (LI) FAME (p < 0.05) in comparison with 9.48% (SE) and 9.54% (LE). Intensive feeding decreased the ratio of PUFA : SFA to 0.17 (SI) and 0.14 (LI, p < 0.05) in comparison with 0.20 (SE and LE). The mean conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentration was 0.41% FAME. Time on feed had only a small effect on the FA composition compared with feeding intensity. No significant relationships were detected between meat quality attributes and the pattern of FA.