Effect of low vitamin A status on fat deposition and fatty acid desaturation in beef cattle

A group of Angus beef cattle was removed from temperate pastures and fed a very low β-carotene cereal-based ration in a feedlot for over 300 d. Half the group was supplemented weekly with retinyl palmitate (at the rate of 60,000 IU vitamin A/100 live weight (LW)/day), sufficient to offset clinical vitamin A deficiency; the other half received no supplement. Blood was sampled from all animals at biweekly intervals to assess β-carotene and vitamin A status. Adipose tissue was sampled by biopsy on three occasions throughout the experimental period and at slaughter to assess FA composition. Muscle was sampled at slaughter to determine the intramuscular fat content. The mean plasma concentration of β-carotene of all animals fell from an initial value of 20.1 to 5.2 μg/mL at 14 d, to 1.4 μg/mL at 35 d, and to zero at 105 d. Mean vitamin A in plasma was not significantly different between the treatment groups initially. The values then rose to almost twice their initial values by 35 d, but subsequently fell to below initial values by day 119. Thereafter, plasma vitamin A of the supplemented group was significantly greater than that of the unsupplemented group (P<0.05). Muscle samples at slaughter from supplemented animals contained significantly (P<0.01) more intramuscular lipid (13.0 vs. 9.6%). Major changes occurred over time in FA composition in both groups. Saturated FA decreased as monounsaturated FA increased over the first 60 d. An index of desaturation of FA was significantly lower (P<0.001) in the vitamin A-supplemented group than in the nonsupplemented group. M.P. of the adipose tissue of nonsupplemented animals was 32.3°C, significantly less (P<0.05) than that of supplemented animals (34.1°C). Feeding vitamin A was associated with less intramuscular fat but with a less desirable (less unsaturated, more solid) FA profile.