Lipid transformation during postmortem chilled aging in Mongolian sheep using lipidomics.

This present study aimed to investigate the effects of postmortem chilled aging on lipid and molecular transformation mechanisms in Mongolian sheep. UPLC-ESI-MS/MS was used to identify 812 lipids in Mongolian sheep within four days of chilled aging. Using multivariate analysis, 95 significant differential lipids were identified. The levels of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol, and certain free fatty acids were observed to rise significantly, while other phospholipids and acylcarnitines showed a downward trend. In addition, levels of most of the lysophospholipids increased significantly in the early postmortem period; however, their levels did not alter significantly after 48 h. The Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes pathway analysis revealed that these differential lipids are primarily involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and thermogenesis. Our results have important implications in terms of understanding lipid transformation and changes in meat quality during postmortem chilled aging in Mongolian sheep.

Transcriptome analysis reveals the molecular regulatory network of muscle development and meat quality in Sunit lamb supplemented with dietary probiotic.

Supplementing animal feed with probiotic additives can promote muscle production and improve meat quality. The study aimed to explore the effects of dietary probiotics supplementation on the performance, meat quality and muscle transcriptome profile in Sunit lamb. Overall, feeding probiotics significantly increased the body length, LT area, pH24h and intramuscular fat (IMF) content, but decreased cooking loss and meat shear force compared to the control group (P < .05). A total of 651 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found in probiotic supplemented lambs. Pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were involved in multiple pathways related to muscle development and fat deposition, such as the ECM-receptor interactions, the MAPK signaling pathway and the FoxO signaling pathway. Therefore, dietary probiotic supplementation can improve muscle development and final meat quality in Sunit lambs by altering gene expression profiles associated with key pathways, providing unique insights into the molecular mechanisms by which dietary probiotics regulate muscle development in the lamb industry.

Isolation, Purification and Structure Identification of a Calcium-Binding Peptide from Sheep Bone Protein Hydrolysate.

To isolate a novel peptide with calcium-binding capacity, sheep bone protein was hydrolyzed sequentially using a dual-enzyme system (alcalase treatment following neutrase treatment) and investigated for its characteristics, separation, purification, and structure. The sheep bone protein hydrolysate (SBPH) was enriched in key amino acids such as Gly, Arg, Pro, Leu, Lys, Glu, Val, and Asp. The fluorescence spectra, circular dichroism spectra, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that adding calcium ions decreased the α-helix and ß-sheet content but significantly increased the random and ß-turn content (p < 0.05). Carboxyl oxygen and amino nitrogen atoms of SBPH may participate in peptide−calcium binding. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometry results showed that SBPH had strong calcium-chelating ability and that the peptide−calcium complex (SBPH−Ca) combined with calcium to form a spherical cluster structure. SBPH was separated and purified gradually by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, and reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization/mass spectrometry identified the amino acid sequences as GPSGLPGERG (925.46 Da) and GAPGKDGVRG (912.48 Da), with calcium-binding capacities of 89.76 ± 0.19% and 88.26 ± 0.25%, respectively. The results of this study provide a scientific basis for the preparation of a new type of calcium supplement and high-value utilization of sheep bone.

Dietary supplementation of Aspergillus oryzae meal and its effect on performance, carcass characteristics, blood variables, and immunity of broiler chickens.

This study investigated the effect of different levels and consumption periods of Aspergillus oryzae meal on performance, carcass characteristics, blood variables, and immunity of broiler chickens. A total of 270 (male and female) Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to 9 treatment groups. Two levels (2 g/kg diet and 4 g/kg diet as-fed) of Aspergillus oryzae meal (AO) and 4 consumption periods of AO (starter, grower, finisher, and entire period) in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement were used. Compared with control, AO used during the entire rearing period increased weight gain, reduced relative weight of abdominal fat, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) serum levels, and increased antibody titers against influenza and Newcastle disease vaccination and sheep red blood cells injection. Few differences in the variables considered were found if AO was added to broiler diets only during specific consumption periods, and between the two supplementation levels of AO. In conclusion, the addition of AO to the broiler diet can have beneficial effects in terms of performance, carcass composition, and health, but these positive effects were mainly reached adding AO for the entire rearing period.

Organic meat quality of dual purpose young bulls supplemented with pea (Pisum sativum L.) or soybean.

BACKGROUND: One of the main constraints established by organic legislation that limits the development of the rearing of young bulls is the ban on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMO). Most of the worldwide cultivated soybean is GMO, therefore the use of alternative protein sources should be evaluated. In this study, the effect of dietary substitution of soybean with pea (Pisum sativum L.) on carcass characteristics and meat quality of dual purpose young bulls reared following the organic method was investigated. RESULTS: Twenty-four young bulls of Rendena breed were randomly assigned to two diet treatments differing in protein supplement (soybean (SB) or field pea (FP)). Carcass characteristics and meat chemical composition, colour, cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force did not differ between groups. Regarding meat fatty acid composition, SB showed higher concentrations of C18:0 and C18:1 t and lower C16:1n-9c, C14:0, C17:1n-9c and C18:1n-9c than FP. In descriptive sensory analysis, trained judges were not able to differentiate meats from SB and FP, which also had similar overall liking expressed by consumers. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that FP can replace SB in the diet of dual purpose young bulls with only a minor influence on fatty acid composition and no effect on carcass characteristics and meat quality. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of stocking density and supplement level on milk production and cheese characteristics in Brown cows grazing on mountain pasture.

Twenty-eight Brown cows were maintained on a mountain pasture for a period of 40 days and assigned to 4 groups following a factorial design 2 stocking density (0.7 and 1.4 cows/ha)x2 supplement levels (2.4 and 4.8 kg organic matter (OM)/d). Herbage intake, animal body condition score (BCS), milk yield, milk chemical and coagulation properties, cheese composition, rheology and sensory characteristics were measured. The average herbage intake was 12.2 kg OM/d, with a significant effect related to stocking density (low, 13.1 v. high, 11.4 kg OM/d). BCS variation was always negative and changed with supplement level, although with no statistical significance (-0.43 points on average). Milk yield was lower for the group with lower availability of herbage (low supplement and high stocking density: 15.9 kg/d), whereas it was comparable among others groups (16.9 kg/d on average). The group with high supplement and low stocking density produced milk with worse cheese making properties. Cheese composition analyses showed an effect of supplement level on calcium content, and on parameters for degree of ripening, such as nitrogen fractions and lipolysis index. As for the textural parameters, hardness and gumminess were found to be higher with the low level of supplement. The different level of supplementation could differentiate the groups on the basis of the sensory perception of cheese.