Effects of fetal programming of Nellore steers on meat quality and on muscle and adipose metabolome

Author(s)

Arícia Christofaro Fernandes

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: Pirassununga.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT)
• Defense date: 2023-03-17

Examining board members

Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana; Nara Regina Brandão Cônsolo; Marcio de Souza Duarte

• Advisor: Miguel Henrique de Almeida Santana; Mirele Daiana Poleti

Abstract

Brazilian beef cattle represent a significant part of meat production in the world, being the largest exporter, and has been trying to improve and optimize its productivity to meet and exceed market demands and population growth. Forage seasonality is one of the main challenges of this production, since cattle are raised mostly under the extensive system. With this, it is necessary to implement nutritional strategies even before the birth of the animal, to guarantee a quality nutritional contribution for the matrices to gestate properly. And this happens through fetal programming, when stimuli generated during pregnancy are reflected in the offspring. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the influence of maternal supplementation during pregnancy of Nellore males on the meat quality of these steers and the analysis of the metabolic profile of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous fat. For this purpose, 63 Nellore steers were used for meat quality analyses, 18 for meat metabolomics and 15 for fat. These animals were from 3 experimental treatments, in which their mothers during pregnancy received or did not receive supplementation: NP Not Programmed, did not receive protein-energy supplement at any time, PP- Partially Programmed, received protein-energy supplement only in the final third of pregnancy and PC Full Programming, received supplementation throughout pregnancy. After breeding, rearing, finishing and slaughtering these males, meat quality analyzes were carried out, as well as the processing of muscle and adipose tissue for the quantification of metabolites. Little was observed in the analyzes of meat quality, indicating only a tendency (p = 0.08) for subcutaneous fat thickness to differ. The quantification of metabolites resulted in a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) for 5 classes (25 metabolites) in meat and 2 classes (10 metabolites) in subcutaneous fat. A metabolic pathway differently expressed in meat between treatments was also found, the Aminoacyl-tRNA pathway, involved with meat quality. In short, the effects of fetal programming on Nellore cattle progeny proved to have little influence on meat quality phenotypes, changes in the metabolism of molecules and pathways linked to the quality phenotype can be observed. To better elucidate the connection between these responses, further research on the subject is necessary. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 21/03802-7 - Effects of fetal programming of Nellore steers on quality meat and muscle and fat metabolome
• Grantee: Arícia Christofaro Fernandes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master