Investigation of the serum and meat lipidome of Nelore males sired by bulls with genetic variation for meat tenderness

• Grant number: 25/25099-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: December 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Production
• Principal Investigator: Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo
• Grantee: Brenda Santos de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/08845-3 - The metabolomic approach to improve Nellore beef tenderness: a concept of metabotype and biomarkers, AP.JP

Abstract

Meat tenderness is widely recognized as one of the main quality attributes, determining the market value of beef. However, despite being a characteristic extensively studied by the scientific community, gaps still remain in understanding the molecular mechanisms that control tenderness. In addition, the evaluation of meat tenderness still relies on postmortem methods, which limits selection strategies and value addition along the production chain. In this context, the investigation of beef tenderness through lipidomic analysis represents an innovative frontier in animal science, especially in zebu breeds such as Nelore cattle. Lipidomics emerges as a promising approach to decipher compounds and metabolic pathways linked to tenderness, enabling a deeper understanding of the metabolism associated with this trait, as well as the identification of candidate compounds for biomarkers with predictive potential.Thus, this project aims to investigate the lipidomic profile of serum and meat from Nelore cattle with differences in meat tenderness. A total of 89 Nelore animals finished in feedlot will be evaluated. Blood samples will be collected one day before slaughter, while meat samples, obtained from the Longissimus dorsi muscle, will be collected 24 hours postmortem for subsequent analysis. For the lipidomic analysis, 20 animals will be selected based on the extreme values obtained from Warner-Bratzler shear force analysis: 10 animals with more tender meat and 10 animals with tougher meat. Lipid analyses will be performed using high-resolution mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography (LC-HRMS), covering a wide range of lipid classes. The data obtained will be subjected to multivariate statistical and bioinformatics approaches to identify differentially expressed lipids between contrasting groups, as well as to elucidate metabolic pathways associated with meat tenderness.The results are expected to contribute new insights into the lipid mechanisms involved in meat quality and provide support for the identification of lipid candidates as biomarkers with potential practical applications in Brazilian beef production.