Muscle proteome of crossbred cattle that received vitamin A at birth: impacts on meat quality traits

•Muscle proteome and meat quality of calves that received vitamin A at birth were described.•Vitamin A treatment resulted in a more than 50% increase in intramuscular fat (IMF).•Post-mortem muscle proteome and the protein-protein interactions were affected.•Key biological processes related to energy metabolism, muscle contraction, and signaling were up-regulated in response to vitamin A.•There was slight improvement in the tenderness of animals that received vitamin A at birth. This study aimed to evaluate the skeletal muscle proteome of calves that received an intramuscular application of vitamin A at birth and its impacts on meat quality. Forty male crossbred calves were used from birth to feedlot finishing. On the day of birth, 20 calves were injected intramuscularly with a single dose of 300,000 IU of vitamin A and the other 20 animals received placebo (control). After weaning at 210 days, the animals of the two treatments were feedlot finished for 180 days. Longissimus muscle samples were collected for proteome analysis and meat quality assessment. There was a trend (P = 0.07) towards more tender meat in animals that received vitamin A compared to control (WBSF = 3.92 ± 0.16 kg vs. 4.23 ± 0.15). Meat color, pH and cooking loss were not affected (P > 0.05). Vitamin A treatment resulted in a more than 50% increase in intramuscular fat (IMF) content (P