Towards Sustainable Sources of Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Northern Australian Tropical Crossbred Beef Steers through Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Lipogenic Genes for Meat Eating Quality

Felista W. Mwangi, Shedrach B. Pewan, John R. Otto, Oyelola A. Adegboye, Edward Charmley, Christopher P. Gardiner, Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli, Robert T. Kinobe and Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli
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Felista W. Mwangi: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Shedrach B. Pewan: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
John R. Otto: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Oyelola A. Adegboye: Public Health and Tropical Medicine Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Edward Charmley: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Agriculture and Food, Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Christopher P. Gardiner: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli: College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Robert T. Kinobe: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli: Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 14, 1-19

Abstract: This study aimed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in lipogenic genes of northern Australian tropically adapted crossbred beef cattle and to evaluate associations with healthy lipid traits of the Longissimus dorsi (loin eye) muscle. The hypothesis tested was that there are significant associations between SNP loci encoding for the fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) and fatty acid synthase (FASN) genes and human health beneficial omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 LC-PUFA) within the loin eye muscle of northern Australian crossbred beef cattle. Brahman, Charbray, and Droughtmaster crossbred steers were fed on Rhodes grass hay augmented with desmanthus, lucerne, or both, for 140 days and the loin eye muscle sampled for intramuscular fat (IMF), fat melting point (FMP), and fatty acid composition. Polymorphisms in FABP4, SCD, and FASN genes with significant effects on lipid traits were identified with next-generation sequencing. The GG genotype at the FABP4 g.44677239C>G locus was associated with higher proportion of linoleic acid than the CC and CG genotypes ( p < 0.05). Multiple comparisons of genotypes at the SCD g.21266629G>T locus indicated that the TT genotype had significantly higher eicosapentaenoic, docosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids than GG genotype ( p < 0.05). Significant correlations ( p < 0.05) between FASN SNP and IMF, saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids were observed. These results provide insights into the contribution of lipogenic genes to intramuscular fat deposition and SNP marker-assisted selection for improvement of meat-eating quality, with emphasis on alternate and sustainable sources of ω3 LC-PUFA, in northern Australian tropical crossbred beef cattle, hence an acceptance of the tested hypothesis.

Keywords: meat fatty acids; omega-3 fatty acids; intramuscular fat; next-generation sequencing; tropical beef cattle; marker-assisted selection (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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