Comparative study on fatty acid profiles of Longissimus thoracis across different marbling scores (7, 8, and 9) within 1++ grade Hanwoo steers

This study investigated the effects of marbling score (MS) variations within Hanwoo quality grade 1 ++ on the appearance and fatty acid composition of the Longissimus thoracis muscle.A total of 110 samples were categorized into three groups: MS 7 (n=34), MS 8 (n=30), and MS 9 (n=46).Meat color analysis revealed no significant differences in redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) among the groups (P > 0.05); however, lightness (L*) was significantly higher in the MS 8 and MS 9 groups than in the MS 7 group (P < 0.05).Regarding fatty acid composition, myristic acid (C14:0) content increased significantly as the MS increased from 7 to 9 (P < 0.05).Conversely, the proportions of linoleic acid (C18:2, n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3, n-6), and arachidonic acid (C20:4, n-6) were significantly lower in the MS 9 group than in the MS 7 group (P <0.05).Despite these variations, the Atherogenic Index (AI) and Thrombogenic Index (TI) did not differ significantly among the groups (P > 0.05).These results imply that even within the same 1 ++ grade, the appearance and nutritional properties of Hanwoo beef vary according to the MS.