Abstract

Meat is known to man as a natural food resource product for his important energy rich and nutritious features. It is quite important in maintaining a balanced and healthy diet as well as being essential for human physiology and growth. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fat make the three major macronutrient pillars in human consumption. Fat in meat is deposited in intramuscular, intermuscular, and subcutaneous adipose stores mainly in the form of glycerol esters, phospholipids, cholesterol, and fatty acid esters. Today we know that fatty acids in ruminants consists of high amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and low amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while ruminant tissues contain higher proportions of trans fatty acids. The composition of those fatty acids can be in a way influenced by environmental and genetic factors.

Keywords:Fatty acid composition; Cattle; Gene; Genetic factors

Abbreviations: FASN: Fatty Acid Synthase; SCD: Stearoyl-Coenzyme Desaturase; GH: Growth Hormone; SFA: Saturated Fatty Acids; PUFA: Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids