Odd-chain fatty acid metabolism has recently become a topic of interest for human health. This interest has followed observations of inverse associations between pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) and/or heptadecanoic acid (C17:0) with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and hypertension risk. Both C15:0 and C17:0 are found in ruminant-derived fats, such as dairy products, tallow, and beef. Given the potential health benefits of odd-chain fatty acids, our objective was to determine if the proportion of odd-chain fatty acids in beef could be increased by including tallow in the finishing diet of beef steers at 3.5% diet dry matter. Our results demonstrate that beef from tallow-fed steers had increased C17:1 and tended to have increased C15:0 and C:17:0. Marbling from tallow-fed steers also appeared to have a remodeled triglyceride composition, with significantly increased C48:2 and C50:3 and reduced C52:1 and tended to have increased C46:1, C50:2, and C54:4. Marbling from tallow-fed steers also had an increased percentage of C17:0 among phosphatidylcholine acyl chains. Although odd-chain fatty acids represent a minor proportion of the nutrients in beef, beef can provide levels comparable to over-the-counter odd-chain fatty acid supplements. Tallow supplementation is a practical means for increasing odd-chain fatty acids in beef and additional research is warranted to determine if higher dietary inclusion levels offer additional benefits.

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.