Nutrient Composition of Bison Fed Concentrate Diets

JOURNAL OF FOOD COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS ARTICLE NO.

11, 231–239 (1998)

FC980583

Nutrient Composition of Bison Fed Concentrate Diets M. J. Marchello,*,1 W. D. Slanger,* M. Hadley,† D. B. Milne,‡ and J. A. Driskell§ *Department of Animal and Range Sciences, and †Department of Food and Nutrition, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58105, U.S.A.; ‡USDA/ARS, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202, U.S.A.; and §Department of Nutritional Science and Dietetics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, U.S.A.2 Received November 24, 1997, and in revised form May 6, 1998 Individual muscles representing the four major wholesale cuts were obtained from the top round, sirloin, ribeye, and clod from 100 bison fed finishing rations. The muscles were lyophilized and analyzed for moisture, protein, fat, cholesterol, energy, 10 minerals, and six vitamins. The four muscles averaged 74.6% moisture, 21.7% protein, 2.1% fat, and 1.2% mineral, providing 141 kcal/100 g. Cholesterol content averaged 66 mg/100 g. With the exception of calcium (4.9 mg/100 g), bison meat seems to have adequate amounts of the minerals analyzed. It contained 3 mg/100 g of iron and 53 mg/100 g of sodium. Vitamin B12 content of bison was 2.13 mg/100 g. The other vitamins studied did not contribute to the importance of bison from a nutritional standpoint. The ratio of palmitic to stearic acid was 1 to 1, and the balance of the type of fatty acids was 43% saturated, 46% monounsaturated, and 11% polyunsaturated. © 1998 Academic Press

INTRODUCTION The bison industry is one of the fastest growing alternative agriculture enterprises, and an increase in animal numbers of 25% every year until 2005 is expected (Willyard, 1997). According to the National Bison Association (1997), there are approximately 225,000 bison being raised for meat production in North America. The demand for live bison and bison meat already exceeds supply. The industry response to this increasing demand is to provide a consistent, highly palatable, nutritious meat to the consumer. Currently published data, based mainly on the loin eye muscle, indicate that bison is a highly nutrient-dense food. (Marchello et al., 1989; Anderson, 1989). The goal of this project was to develop an adequate data base on the nutrient composition of the North American bison that represents the current type of fed bison and bison cuts being marketed through restaurants and supermarkets. MATERIALS AND METHODS Individual cuts from the top round (semimembranosus), top sirloin (gluteus medius), ribeye (longissimus thoracis), and shoulder clod (triceps brachii) representing the four major areas of the carcass were analyzed from 100 fed bison representing various geographic areas of the United States (nine states) and Canada (three provinces) (Table 1). 1

To whom reprint requests should be addressed. Fax: (701) 231-7590. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Northern Plains area, is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all agency services are available without discrimination. Mention of a trademark or proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by the US Department of Agriculture and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable. 2

231

0889-1575/98 $25.00 Copyright © 1998 by Academic Press All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.

232

MARCHELLO ET AL. TABLE 1 The Demographics and Number of Animals Obtained from Each State and Province

Because of the diversities of ration fed, the authors believe that this is representative of what consumers are purchasing in supermarkets and restaurants. All animals were males approximately 25 months old (range 20 –31 months) fed hay ad libitum and a concentrate portion on a daily basis. The concentrate varied from region to region depending on feed availability. It could have been corn, barley, oats, wheat midd screening, or various combinations of these grains. The mineral/vitamin mix was usually mixed with the concentrate portion of the ration but was also available free choice as a block. Frozen meat samples (approximately 1 kg of each cut) were shipped to North Dakota State University. All subcutaneous fat was removed prior to lyophilization and homogenization. Freezedried samples were homogenized with a household blender. Samples were stored at 220°C for later chemical analysis. A portion of the lyophilized samples was shipped to the University of Nebraska for analysis of selected vitamins and selenium. Dry matter was determined by oven drying at 105°C (950.46), protein by the macro-Kjeldahl procedure (988.05), and ash (920.153) and crude fat by the Foss-let procedure (976.21) (AOAC, 1990). Gross energy was determined by bomb calorimetry in the Parr 124 oxygen adiabatic bomb calorimeter (Parr Instrument Company, Moline, IL). Total lipids of tissue were determined gravimetrically after extraction with a chloroform:methanol mixture

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF BISON

233

TABLE 2 Nutrient Composition of Raw Separable Lean from Bison Cuts

Means within a row followed by different letters differ significantly (P , 0.05). n 5 100. e Standard error of the mean is in parentheses.

a,b,c d

(2:1) by using the basic procedure described by Folch et al. (1957). Cholesterol from lipid extracts was analyzed by the acetic anhydride sulfuric acid colorimetric method of Stadtman (1957). Concentrations of minerals (K, Na, P, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Zn, and Mn) were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (Dahlquist and Knoll, 1978), after digestion with nitric and perchloric acid at the USDA/ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Accuracy and precision of mineral analysis have been previously documented (Marchello et al., 1984). Samples were digested with concentrated nitric and 70% perchloric acid by Method (II)A of the Analytical Methods Committee (1960). Samples were compared with aqueous calibration standards. Methodological precision and accuracy were evaluated by concurrent analysis of National Bureau of Standards Bovine Liver Standards, pool samples and replicate samples containing added metal. The fluorometric method of Spallholz et al. (1978) was utilized to determine Se content. Fatty acids were determined by the procedure of Ulberth and Henniger (1995) using the following conditions. Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) were separated by means of a 0.32 mm 3 30 m fused silica capillary column (10% SP-2340), Supelco, Inc., in a Shimadzu GC-9A chromatograph with autosampler. FAME were detected with a flame ionization detector and the detector signal was processed with a Shimadzu C-R3A Chromatopac integrator. The injector temperature was 220°C and the column temperature was 170°C. Nitrogen (76 psi) was the carrier gas and a split ratio of 1:100 was used. Standards (KEL-FIM-FAM-5) from Matreyl, Inc. (Pleasant Gap, PA), were run daily. Duplicate analysis was performed on all samples and the coefficient of variation had to be less than 4%. The internal standard (nonadecanoic acid methyl) from Sigma was also incorporated into the analysis.

234

MARCHELLO ET AL. TABLE 3 Mineral Content of Raw Separable Lean from Bison Cuts

Means within a row followed by different letters differ significantly (P , 0.05). Standard error of the mean is in parentheses. e Number of observations.

a,b,c d

Vitamin C (Kit No. 409 677, Boehringer Mannheim Corp., Indianapolis, IN) and vitamin A (974.29) concentrations of the samples were determined using colorimetric methods (AOAC, 1990). The thiamine contents of these samples were determined by using fluorometry (AOAC, 1990). The vitamin B6 and vitamin B12 compositions of the

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF BISON

235

TABLE 4 Vitamin Content of Raw Separable Lean from Bison Cuts

Means within a row followed by different letters differ significantly (P , 0.05). Standard error of the mean is in parentheses. e n 5 100 for vitamin A, and n 5 12 for all other vitamins. ND Not detectable.

a,b,c d

samples were determined by microbiological assay using Saccharomyces varum, ATCC 9080 (Sauberlich, 1967), and Lactobacillus leichmannii, ATCC 7830 (AOAC, 1990), respectively. The vitamin E contents of these samples were determined by an HPLC technique (Nierenberg and Nann, 1992). Care was taken with all analyses to prevent destruction of the nutrient being measured. Duplicate analysis was done on all samples. Recoveries were determined by standard addition to sample aliquots of bison with the appropriate nutrient at the beginning of each chemical method with recovering .90%. ANOVA and Tukey’s multiple range test were used to determine statistical significance between nutrient concentrations of the four muscles analyzed (Sokal and Rohlf, 1995). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION When one compares the four muscle types, we observed differences in the nutrient content (Table 2). Moisture ranged from a low of 74.0% in the ribeye to 75.4% in the clod muscle. Protein varied from a low of 21.1% in the clod to a high of 22.3% in the top round. The top round also had the least amount of fat with 1.6%, while the sirloin and ribeye contained 2.4%. The cholesterol content as determined by chromatography varied from 61 mg/100 g in the ribeye to 71 mg/100 g in the sirloin. Marchello et al. (1989) showed less protein and less fat but the same cholesterol values in the ribeye muscle in the present

236

MARCHELLO ET AL. TABLE 5 Fatty Acid Composition of Raw Separable Lean from Bison Cuts

Means within a row followed by different letters differ significantly (P , 0.05). Standard error of the mean is in parentheses. e n 5 100, but some individual fatty acids were not detected in some animals.

a,b,c d

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF BISON

237

study. In the 1989 study some of the animals were not in a feedlot situation. Koch et al. (1995) reported that bison that were castrated and dehorned and put on a full-fledged concentrate diet had 2.9% fat in the ribeye and a cholesterol value of 58 mg/100 g. Data from our current study fall within the parameters for proximate analysis as shown by Anderson (1989) in Handbook 8-17. Table 3 gives the mineral results. In many instances the mineral concentration varied among the four muscle groups studied. However, these differences though statistically significant are minimal compared to the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for these nutrients (FNB/NRC, 1989). Ranging from 4.1 mg Ca/100 g in clod muscle to 6.0 mg Ca/100 g in the ribeye, bison would not contribute significantly to the RDA (800 mg/d) for Ca for males and females over the age of 24. However, bison is an excellent source of Fe, containing around 3 mg/100 g in the various muscles analyzed. Bison is low in Na ranging from 48 to 60 mg/100 g in the ribeye and clod muscles, respectively. With the exception of Na, Mg, and Ca, the mineral content of the ribeye was greater in this study than previously reported by Marchello et al. (1989) and Anderson (1989). This was probably because samples came from fed bison receiving a mineral/vitamin supplement. Furthermore, it has been well established that age and feeding regimes can affect the mineral content of meat tissue (Marchello et al., 1984, Doorenbal and Murray, 1982; Sim and Wellington, 1976). The rest of the minerals appear to be in adequate amounts to meet nutritional needs in humans. It is noteworthy that even though the Se content is only 25.5 mg/100 g, it can spare some of the vitamin E content and provides 36.4% of the RDA for men and even a greater percentage for women. Se content was quite variable because of different feed sources and whether or not producers supplemented Se. Medeiros et al. (1993) reported that Se content of free-roaming bison varied from 0.3 to 0.7 mg/g, depending on muscle and sex of the animal with a mean of 0.49 mg/g while the longissimus muscle from fed beef contained 0.10 mg/g. Table 4 shows the various vitamins analyzed. This is the first known study on the vitamins in bison. No differences were observed among the various muscles examined with the exception of vitamin A and B6. Vitamin A averaged 0.79 mg/100 g, with a range of 0.68 in the clod to 0.91 in the sirloin. With the exception of vitamin B12, none of the other vitamins are present in quantities of importance from a nutritional point of view. However, 100 g of raw bison would provide 35% of the daily value for vitamin B12. Furthermore, even the small amounts of the other vitamins examined add to the balanced nutritional value of bison. Percentages of fatty acids for the four muscles are given in Table 5. The statistical differences were inconsequential and usually made up less than 2% among muscle with the exception of oleic acid where the top round had 4% percentage points less than the ribeye. The ratio of palmitic to stearic acid was 1 to 1, and the balance of the saturated to monounsaturated to polyunsaturated acids was 43, 46, 11%, respectively. The top round had the greatest amount of saturated fat (43.8%) and polyunsaturated fat (12.4%) and the least amount of monounsaturated fat (43.8%) compared to the other muscles studied, although some of the differences were not significant between muscle. The combination of fatty acids adds to the unique flavor of bison and provides essential fatty acids and aids in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins. When we compared this study to our previous work (Marchello et al., 1989) and with Anderson (1989), we observed no change in the saturated fatty acids, approximately 3% decrease for palmitic and stearic with an increase in the oleic content of about 2%. The concentration of polyunsaturated acids also

238

MARCHELLO ET AL.

decreased 2.5%. This difference can probably be attributed to the fact that all of these animals were fed some type of a concentrated diet. SUMMARY This study confirms that bison meat is a highly nutrient-dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, minerals, and vitamins to its caloric value. Variation of nutrients among muscles showed significant difference but were minimal from a practical standpoint. This information provides a sound database for utilization of nutrient labeling of fresh bison meat. Direct comparison with other meats can now be made with confidence for the consumer. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Funding for the project was provided by the National Bison Assoc., North American Bison Coop., ND Agri. Prod. Utilization Comm., Northwest Bison Assoc., Pennsylvania Bison Assoc., USDA/Cooperative State Res. Ed., and Ext. Ser., and many producers. Appreciation is extended to all the support staff who were responsible for doing the chemical analysis, calculations, and word processing: David Giraud, Marsha Kapphahn, Arlinda Lewis, Elaine Speare, Virginia Ballintine, Xiaohong Yuan, Janet Carlson, Holly Erdmann, and Julie Berg.

REFERENCES Analytical Methods Committee (1960). Methods of destruction of organic matter. Analyst 85, 643. Anderson, B. A. (1989). Composition of Foods, USDA Handbook No. 8-17. U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, DC. AOAC (1990). Official Methods of Analysis, 15th ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC. AOAC (1995). Official Methods of Analysis, 16th ed. Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Washington, DC. Dahlquist, R. L., and Knoll, J. W. (1978). Inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry: Analysis of biological materials and soils in major, trace and ultra-trace elements. Appl. Spectrosc. 32, 1–29. Doornenbal, H., and Murray, A. C. (1982). Effect of age, breed, sex and muscle on certain mineral concentrations in cattle. J. Food Sci. 47, 55–58. Driskell, J. A., Yuan, X., Girand, D. W., Hadley, M., and Marchello, M. J. (1997). Concentrations of selected vitamins and selenium in bison cuts. J. Anim. Sci. 75, 2950 –2954. FNB/NRC (1989). Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk, Report of the Committee on Diet and Health, Food and Nutrition Board. National Academy Press, Washington, DC. FNB/NRC (1989). Recommended Dietary Allowance, 10th ed. National Academy of Science, Washington, DC. Folch, J., Leis, M., and Stanley, G. H. S. (1957). A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues. J. Biol. Chem. 226, 497–509. Koch, R. M., Jung, H. G., Crouse, J. D., Varal, V. H., and Cundiff, L. V. (1995). Growth, digestive capability, carcass, and meat characteristics of Bison bison, Bos Taurus, and Bos and Bison. J. Anim. Sci. 73, 1271–1281. Marchello, M. J., Milne, D. B., and Slanger, W. D. (1984). Selected macro and micro minerals in ground beef and longissimus muscle. J. Food Sci. 49, 105–106. Marchello, M. J., Slanger, W. D., Milne, D. B., Fischer, A. G., and Berg, P. T. (1989). Nutrient composition of raw and cooked Bison bison. J. Food Comp. Anal. 2, 177–185. Medeiros, L. C., Belden, R. P., and Williams, E. S. (1993). Selenium content of bison, elk and mule deer. J. Food Sci. 58, 731–733. National Bison Association (1997). Personal communication. Nierenberg, D. W., and Nann, S. L. (1992). A method for determining concentrations of retinol, tocopherol, and five carotenoids in human plasma and tissue samples. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 56, 417– 426.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF BISON

239

Sauberlich, H. E. (1967). Vitamin B6. In The Vitamins: Chemistry, Physiology, Pathology, Methods (P. Gyo¨rgy, and W. N. Pearson, Eds.), 2nd ed. Academic Press, New York. Schubert, A., Holden, J. M., and Wolf, W. R. (1987). Selenium content of a core group of foods based on a critical evaluation of published analytical data. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 87, 285–296. Sim, D. W., and Wellington, G. H. (1976). Potassium concentrations in bovine muscle as influenced by carcass location, breed, sex, energy intake, and shrunk body weight. J. Anim. Sci. 48, 84 –91. Sokal, R. R., and Rohlf, F. J. (1995). BIOMETRY. The Principles and Practices of Statistics in Biological Research, 3rd ed. Freeman, New York. Spallholz, J. E., Collons, G. F, and Schwarz, K. (1978). A single-test-tube methods for the fluorometric microdetermination of selenium. Bioinorg. Chem. 9, 453– 459. Stadtman, T. (1957). Preparation and assay of cholesterol and ergosterol. In Methods in Enzymology (S. P. Colowick and N. O. Kaplan, Eds.), Vol. 3, pp. 392–394. Academic Press, New York. Ulberth, F., and Henniger, M. (1995). Determination of the fatty acid profile of fish by a one-step extraction/ methylation method. Fat Sci. Technol. 97, 77– 80. Willyard, B. (1997). Personal communication. President, ND Buffalo Assoc.