Antioxidant enzyme activities and antioxidant capacity in longissimus muscle from bulls fed diets rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids

The effect of a treatment diet composed of grass silage and concentrate including rapeseed (with/without feeding restriction) was compared with a control diet of maize silage/grass silage (70:30) and concentrate including soybean, on the antioxidant enzyme activities of fresh longissimus muscle from German Simmental bulls. Additionally, the effect of diet on antioxidant capacity (AOC) of hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidants was evaluated in fresh and stored beef muscle using the FRAP-ferric reducing ability and TEAC – Trolox-equivalent antioxidant capacity assays at different reaction times. Catalase and superoxide dismutase activities were significantly higher in the treatment diet groups, and glutathione peroxidase activity was not different. AOC was not affected by the diet. However, storage affected the values of FRAP and TEAC assays, and the results were time-depending. 30 min were found like a minimum reaction time for both assays. Generally, AOC values of the hydrophilic antioxidants were significantly higher than lipophilic values.