The metabolomic approach to improve Nellore beef tenderness: a concept of metabotype and biomarkers

• Grant number: 20/08845-3
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2022
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo
• Grantee: Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Alessandra Fernandes Rosa ; Arlindo Saran Netto ; David S Wishart ; Guilherme Pugliesi ; Linda Margareta Samuelsson ; Luiz Alberto Colnago ; Mohammed Gagaoua ; Paul Haydon Maclean ; Rafael Garrett da Costa ; Saulo da Luz e Silva ; Tiago Bueno de Moraes
• Associated research grant(s): 23/14869-0 - Optimizing the metabolomics study in cattle using 1H-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry: a partnership between Brazil and Canada, AP.R SPRINT; 23/01189-1 - Optimization of nuclear magnetic resonance spectral acquisition methods for metabolomic analysis of bovine serum: process validation, AP.R
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/02491-9 - Meat quality characteristics based on genetic selection of Nellore cattle for tenderness, BP.IC; 25/01512-2 - Evaluation of Metabolic Pathways Related to Meat Tenderness in Nellore Cattle., BP.IC; 25/01124-2 - Metabolomic profile comparison of Nellore cows with high and low blood perfusion of the corpus luteum at Doppler diagnosis, BP.IC; + associated scholarships 24/16874-4 - Training in metabolomics processing and analysis by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, BP.TT; 24/13332-6 - Preparation and dissemination in communication vehicles of documents, information and curiosities about the project involving meat quality from Nellore cattle., BP.JC; 24/14956-3 - Investigation of the metabolic differences in Nelore steers with varying rates of fat deposition during the rearing phase., BP.IC; 24/15666-9 - Assessment of metabolism and phenotyping of Nelore cattle finished in feedlot with divergence in meat tenderness, BP.MS; 24/08812-9 - Correlation between serum metabolites and growth characteristics, musculature, and precocity in Nellore cattle., BP.MS; 24/00186-1 - The metabotype of Nelore´s meat supplemented with essential oils, BP.IC; 24/04740-3 - Evaluation during the breeding and rearing period of Nelore calves progeny of bulls with positive and negative DEP for tenderness, BP.TT; 23/15998-9 - Characterization of the serum and hepatic metabolome in Japanese quails supplemented with Amazon functional oils, BP.IC; 23/14600-1 - Statistical Modeling Strategies in the Integrated Evaluation of Analyses Metabolomics, Genomics and Lipidomics., BP.IC; 23/08192-8 - Evaluation of metabolic pathways correlated with performance and muscle mass deposition of Nelore calves during the rearing period., BP.IC; 23/00661-9 - Integromics approach of omics data os Nelore male progeny of bulls with genetic variation for meat tenderness, BP.MS; 22/16074-2 - Metabotype characterization of Nellore calves at birth and weaning progeny of bulls with genetic variation for meat tenderness, BP.MS; 22/12951-9 - TD-NMR relaxometry development for meat quality evaluation and drip water on beef aged by different methods, BP.IC; 23/00114-8 - Reporodutive efficiency of Nellore cows inseminated with bull with diffent EPD for meat tenderness and evaluation of their calves performance and metabolism, BP.TT; 22/07906-4 - Metabotype investigation of programmed heifers by early-weaning and its effect on puberty, BP.IC; 22/07950-3 - Plasma metabolomics characterization of bovines raised in the Pantanal area, BP.IC; 21/14802-8 - The metabolomic approach to improve Nellore beef tenderness: a concept of metabotype and biomarkers, BP.JP - associated scholarships

Abstract

Consumer demand for high-quality meat is constantly increasing, with meat texture being the most important sensory property. This can influence the entire beef industry's profitability, and the control of meat tenderness is an important issue in animal production. advances in genomics during the last two decades and in proteomics during the last decade have brought significant advancements in the understanding of the biochemistry behind post-mortem bovine meat tenderisation. However, our understanding of meat tenderness is still poor, as consequence this quality trait can therefore only be poorly predicted and controlled. In this context metabolomics could be used as an additional complex tool to decipher tenderness metabolism, enhancing our understanding of meat tenderness variability and developing a new method for meat evaluation and biomarker discovery. In this regard, this proposed research project will evaluate the phenotype, metabolome, metaboltype and genome of Nellore male progenies from bulls with genomic information for meat tenderness, evaluated through prediction equation. Progenies will be evaluated at several times points from birth to slaughter, in order to better understanding the meat tenderness mechanism, stablish a tenderness metabotype and propose muscle/meat and blood biomarkers for tenderness prediction right after slaughter and in animal live, respectively. For this, 600 cows will be inseminated with semen from six selected bulls as three high and three low tenderness, expecting at least 40 progenies of each bull. The cows will be kept in the same system, with the same nutrition and management. After two days of birth all male calves will be evaluated, blood samples will be collected for metabolomics and genomic analysis. The animals will be kept in the same system, with the same nutrition and management. The phenotypic data will be recorded, and blood samples will be collected for metabolomics analysis at weaning, at around 540 days age, during the finishing phase and before slaughter, at around 22-24 months of age. After slaughter, carcass data will be recorded, muscle and meat will be sampled for metabolomics analysis, and meat samples will be taken for quality analysis, including sensorial and objective tenderness. The results of this study will improve our understanding of meat tenderness, creating the first tenderness metabotype database and facilitate the development of biomarkers in blood and meat to predict meat tenderness in animals live or right after slaughter, which can be applied to assist cattle breeding programs, improving animals' selection for meat tenderness, in addition to promoting the development of new assessment approaches that may have a positive impact on all parts of this production chain. (AU)

Scientific publications

(4)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CONSOLO, NARA R. B.; BARBOSA, LUIS C. G. S.; MORAES, TIAGO B.; BURAQUE, VICENTE M.; COLNAGO, LUIZ A.; QUEIROZ JUNIOR, LUIZ H. K.; OLIVEIRA, VITOR M.; HANNAFORD, RINA; ARAUJO, CRISTIANE S. S.; ROQUE, FABRICIA DE A.; et al. Using TD-NMR relaxometry to assess the effects of diet type and stocking rate on the incidence and degree of severity of myopathies in broilers. Microchemical Journal, v. 181, p. 9-pg., 2022-07-06. (20/08845-3, 21/12694-3)

CONSOLO, NARA R. B.; DE PAULA, ANA P. M.; REZENDE-DE-SOUZA, JONATA H.; HERREIRA, VINICIUS L. S.; GONGORA, ANA LAURA S. M.; COLNAGO, LUIZ A.; MORAES, TIAGO B.; SANTOS, POLIANA M.; NASSU, RENATA T.; PFLANZER, SERGIO B.. Assessment of water relaxometry of meat under different ageing processes using time domain nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry. Food Research International, v. 190, p. 8-pg., 2024-06-14. (20/08845-3, 21/12694-3)

MATIAS, INGRID FERNANDA BERNARDES; SANTOS, EDUARDO SOLANO PINA; VALIM, JOAO MARCOS BOVETTO DE CAMPOS; CASTRO, ALEX; FERREIRA, ANTONIO GILBERTO; BARBOSA, LUIS CARLOS; RIBEIRO, GABRIEL HENRIQUE; COLNAGO, LUIZ ALBERTO; ASNCHAU, DOUGLAS GABRIEL; SOUZA, YASMIN GONCAOVES DA SILVA; et al. Preparation of ruminal fluid and serum samples from beef cattle for nuclear magnetic resonance based-metabolomics. NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, v. N/A, p. 14-pg., 2024-05-04. (20/08845-3)

MORALES GOMEZ, JUAN FERNANDO; BRANDAO CONSOLO, NARA REGINA; ANTONELO, DANIEL SILVA; BELINE, MARIANE; GAGAOUA, MOHAMMED; HIGUERA-PADILLA, ANGEL; COLNAGO, LUIZ ALBERTO; GERRARD, DAVID EDWIN; SILVA, SAULO LUZ. Impact of Cattle Feeding Strategy on the Beef Metabolome. METABOLITES, v. 12, n. 7, p. 14-pg., 2022-07-01. (21/12694-3, 20/08845-3, 18/01434-8, 18/25320-1)