Hormonal Profiles, Meat Quality, and Fatty Acid Composition of Bali Cattle Supplemented with Essential Amino Acids and Classified by Residual Feed Intake (RFI)

Abstract

Abstract Improving physiological efficiency and enhancing the meat quality in beef cattle are fundamental strategies to support sustainable livestock production systems in tropical regions. This research aimed to analyze the relationships among residual feed intake (RFI), plasma leptin and growth hormone (GH) concentrations, and the physical and chemical meat quality of male Bali cattle supplemented with essential amino acids (lysine-methionine). Thirty supplemented bulls aged 2 to 3 years were classified into two feed efficiency groups: low RFI value (LRFI, n = 18) and high RFI value (HRFI, n = 12). Hormone concentrations were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique, while meat quality was evaluated based on physical characteristics, including pH, color (L, a, b*), water-holding capacity, cooking loss, and tenderness. The fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS), identifying a total of 42 distinct components. The results indicated that concentrations of leptin and GH were not significantly different between RFI groups ( p >0.05). However, LRFI cattle showed greater tenderness and higher levels of oleic acid (C18:1n9c) and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), while HRFI cattle had more palmitic acid (C16:0). These findings suggest that RFI classification correlates with differences in meat quality attributes and fatty acid profiles in supplemented Bali cattle. The results provide useful information for understanding differences related to feed efficiency under tropical forage-based systems.

Access to Document

Other files and links

• Link to publication in Scopus
• Open Access Version Available

Fingerprint