Table 1

Comparison of mean saturated fatty acid composition (expressed as mg/g of fatty acid or as a % of total lipid) between grass-fed and grain-fed cattle.

Fatty Acid

Author, publication year, breed, treatment

C12:0 lauric

C14:0 myristic

C16:0 palmitic

C18:0 stearic

C20:0 arachidic

Total SFA (units as specified)

Total lipid (units as specified)

Alfaia, et al., 2009, Crossbred steers

g/100 g lipid

Grass

0.05

1.24*

18.42*

17.54*

0.25*

38.76

9.76* mg/g muscle

Grain

0.06

1.84*

20.79*

14.96*

0.19*

39.27

13.03* mg/g muscle

Leheska, et al., 2008, Mixed cattle

g/100 g lipid

Grass

0.05

2.84*

26.9

17.0*

0.13*

48.8*

2.8* % of muscle

Grain

0.07

3.45*

26.3

13.2*

0.08*

45.1*

4.4* % of muscle

Garcia et al., 2008, Angus X-bred steers

% of total FA

Grass

na

2.19

23.1

13.1*

na

38.4*

2.86* %IMF

Grain

na

2.44

22.1

10.8*

na

35.3*

3.85* %IMF

Ponnampalam, et al., 2006, Angus steers

mg/100 g muscle tissue

Grass

na

56.9*

508*

272.8

na

900*

2.12%* % of muscle

Grain

na

103.7*

899*

463.3

na

1568*

3.61%* % of muscle

Nuernberg, et al., 2005, Simmental bulls

% of total intramuscular fat reported as LSM

Grass

0.04

1.82

22.56*

17.64*

na

43.91

1.51* % of muscle

Grain

0.05

1.96

24.26*

16.80*

na

44.49

2.61* % of muscle

Descalzo, et al., 2005 Crossbred Steers

% of total FA

Grass

na

2.2

22.0

19.1

na

42.8

2.7* %IMF

Grain

na

2.0

25.0

18.2

na

45.5

4.7* %IMF

Realini, et al., 2004, Hereford steers

% fatty acid within intramuscular fat

Grass

na

1.64*

21.61*

17.74*

na

49.08

1.68* % of muscle

Grain

na

2.17*

24.26*

15.77*

na

47.62

3.18* % of muscle

*Indicates a significant difference (at least P < 0.05) between feeding regimens was reported within each respective study. "na" indicates that the value was not reported in the original study.

Daley et al. Nutrition Journal 2010 9:10   doi:10.1186/1475-2891-9-10