Table 1 Median (inter-quartile range) of fatty acid profiles (mg/100 g tissue), intramuscular fat (%), and fat-melting point (°C) in the M. longissimus dorsi of Bowen Genetics Forest Pastoral Angus, Hereford, and Wagyu beef cattle studs

Intramuscular fat (%)

8.0 (4.1–13.3)^b

5.9 (5.3–6.0)^a

11.1 (5.5–12.0)^b

0.03

Fat melting point (^oC)

46.5 (35.0–47.8)^b

55.0 (54.0–55.5)^c

33.0 (29.5–35.3)^a

 < 0.01

Oleic acid (18:1n-9)

444.4 (216.2–863.0)^b

177.5 (113.0–294.6)^a

488.6 (241.7–1035.5)^b

 < 0.01

Linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6)

57.5 (49.7–72.3)

58.3 (39.1–76.1)

59.9 (45.7–75.8)

0.70

α-Linolenic acid (ALA; 18:3n-3)

13.1 (10.8–15.9)^a

12.8 (12.0–14.3)^a

21.5 (11.4–27.3)^b

 < 0.01

EPA¹-20:5n-3

8.2 (5.9–10.4)^a

9.0 (7.5–9.6)^ab

11.5 (5.1–14.0)^b

0.03

DHA²-22:6n-3

1.1 (0.6–1.3)^a

1.3 (1.0–1.6)^b

1.5 (0.7–2.2)^b

0.02

DPA³-22:5n-3

11.8 (8.5–12.9)^a

12.3 (9.2–13.2)^a

15.1 (7.1–19.4)^b

0.01

EPA + DHA

9.4 (6.6–11.6)^a

10.3 (8.7–11.0)^a

13.1 (5.81–16.3)^b

0.02

EPA + DHA + DPA

21.5 (16.1–24.4)^a

22.1 (17.7–24.6)^a

28.8 (12.6–36.3)^b

0.01

ALA + EPA + DHA + DPA

33.6 (26.2–42.2)^a

36.3 (32.5–37.8)^a

52.6 (24.6–63.8)^b

 < 0.01

tSFA⁴

453.1 (167.3–2634.0)^ab

233.2 (132.9–4105.0)^a

467.7 (111.0–7007.0)^b

0.02

tMUFA⁵

511.1 (156.7–2831.0)^b

203.0 (110.5–3866.0)^a

567.5 (114.0–8760.0)^b

 < 0.01

tPUFA⁶

152.3 (52.6–241.6)

135.0 (86.4–264.5)

181.8 (47.9–718.5)

0.11

n-6 PUFA⁷

116.0 (37.8–157.9)

95.3 (58.9–200.3)

118.4 (40.8–609.0)

0.35

n-3 PUFA⁸

37.6 (11.7–80.5)^a

39.7 (21.4–79.6)^ab

56.2 (7.0–130.9)^b

0.01

n-6/n-3⁹

2.8 (2.0–5.8)^b

2.5 (1.9–4.2)^ab

2.1 (1.3–6.0)^a

 < 0.01