The volatile profile of longissimus dorsi muscle of heifers fed pasture, pasture silage or cereal concentrate: Implication for dietary discrimination

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different diets on beef meat volatile organic compounds
(VOC). Seven heifers grazed pasture for twelve months (group P); 8 heifers received grass silage ad libitum
indoors for six months and then were switched to pasture for six months (group SiP); 8 heifers received grass
silage ad libitumindoors for sixmonths and then switched to pasture and also offered 0.5 of the diet dry matter of
concentrate for sixmonths (group SiPC); 8 heifers received concentrate for twelvemonths (group C). Themuscle
longissimus dorsi was sampled at slaughter and subjected to VOC analysis by SPME-GC-MS. Some aldeyhdes,
ketones and furans deriving from lipid oxidation were affected by the treatments. Skatole, 3-undecanone,
cuminic alcohol and 1-butanol, 2-methyl allowed the discrimination between animals fed concentrate from
animals fed non-concentrate diets. Germacrene D, a terpenoid, was a marker of grass feeding.