Genetic factors that determine the meat fatty acids composition

• Grant number: 17/01995-7
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants - Publications - Books published abroad
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Genetics and Improvement of Domestic Animals
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Sebastián Baldi Rey
• Grantee: Fernando Sebastián Baldi Rey
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias (FCAV). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In relation the nutritional attributes of beef meat quality, the composition of fatty acid is important not only because it affects the meat palatability, but also it can affect the human health. The fatty acids harmful to human health have received attenuating attention in recent years. Some studies, with taurine breed, have shown that there is a genetic variation for the trait fatty acid profile of the meat and, therefore, the possibility of genetic improvement of this trait in beef cattle. Meantime, in zebu cattle, the genetic parameter estimates for fatty acid profile are scarce. Furthermore, the trait meat fatty acid profile is something difficult and costly to measure and for this kind of trait is indicated the use of genomic selection, which is a type of marker-assisted selection. The objective of this chapter is showing the genetic variability of meat fatty acid profile different cattle breeds, and makes an approach of the implement models and methods that use genomic information to improve the fatty acid composition of beef meat. (AU)