Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 November 2017
Nutritional approaches are the most important strategy for altering the fatty acid composition of muscle lipids (Scollan et al., 2006). Grass relative to concentrate feeding increases the content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) resulting in a low n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio. Ruminally protected plant lipids enhance PUFA content very significantly resulting in beneficial P:S and n-6:n-3 ratios (Scollan et al., 2006). This study considered the effects of finishing steers (1) outdoors on grass ± concentrate versus (2) indoors on straw/concentrate ± a protected lipid supplement with one of two levels of vitamin E on the fatty acid composition of the m. longissimus thoracis et lumborum.