Effect of biotin supplementation on meat quality of F1 Wagyu/Black Angus feedlot steers of known genotype

Biotin (D-biotin) was supplemented to F1 Wagyu/Black Angus steers fed a wheat-based ration to evaluate the effect on meat quality. One hundred and eight steers of known Wagyu sire lines were assigned to three biotin treatments (0, 10 and 20 mg/head/day) with each treatment replicated four times using an unfasted liveweight of 410.5 kg (±24.42 SD).Biotin supplementation had no effect (P > 0.05) on beef marbling standard at either the 5/6th or 10/11th rib quartering site, 10/11th rib intra-muscular fat percentage, intra-muscular fat fatty acid composition or adipose melting points. Wagyu genotype had an effect (P < 0.05) on beef marbling standard and intra-muscular fat percentage at the 10/11th rib, inter-muscular and intra-muscular melting point and fatty acid composition of intra-muscular fat. A significant (P < 0.001) but poor correlation existed between beef marbling standard and intra-muscular fat percentage (R2 = 0.198). Total conjugated linoleic acid had a highly significantly (P < 0.0001) positive correlation to intra-muscular fat percentage (R2 = 0.446).