Dietary vitamin E inhibits the trans 10-18:1 shift in beef backfat

Juarez, M., Dugan, M. E. R., Aalhus, J. L., Aldai, N., Basarab, J. A., Baron, V. S. and McAllister, T. A. 2010. Dietary vitamin E inhibits the trans 10-18:1 shift in beef backfat. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 90: 9-12. Forty feedlot steers were fed a barley-grain-based finishing diet typical for western Canada, with two levels of supplementary vitamin E (468 or 1068 IU head(-1) d(-1)) and the effect on backfat trans-18:1 isomeric profile was determined. Feeding 1068 IU vitamin E reduced the total trans-18:1 content in backfat (P <0.01), as well as the percentage of trans 10-18:1 (P <0.001), which are related to an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. On the other hand, trans 11-18:1 (vaccenic acid) the precursor for cis 9,trans 11-18:2 (rumenic acid), which have several purported health benefits, increased (P <0.01). Vitamin E could, therefore, be used to decrease trans-18:1 in beef and improve its isomeric profile.