Investigation on the pharmacological mechanisms of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome based on crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling / 药学学报

Gouty arthritis is a type of metabolic rheumatic disease caused by autoimmune abnormalities. Currently, the use of Western medicine in the clinical treatment of gouty arthritis has been associated with a high risk of adverse reactions. Therefore, there is a growing interest in exploring therapeutic drugs from traditional Chinese medicine as a potential alternative. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, gouty arthritis has been classified as damp-heat arthralgia syndrome. Shirebi granules has been found to have good clinical efficacy in treating gouty arthritis. However, its underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. To address this problem, the study first established the interaction network of candidate targets for Shirebi granules, which is used to treat damp-heat syndrome of gouty arthritis. Then, the key candidate targets of Shirebi granules for treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome were screened by calculating the topological features of the network nodes. Then, the functional mining of the key candidate targets revealed that the candidate targets of Shirebi granules may intervene in the biological process of inflammatory response and lipid metabolism through the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. To verify the effectiveness of Shirebi granules in treating gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome, a rat model was established. The results demonstrated that the granules significantly improved the severity of arthritis in rats with this condition, reduced joint inflammation, gait score, swelling index, increased mechanical pain threshold (P < 0.05), and reduced the content of serum inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in gouty arthritis rats with damp-heat syndrome (P < 0.01) gouty. It was also found that Shirebi granules effectively alleviated the symptoms of dampness heat syndrome such as local joint fever and dry mouth by reducing the temperature of the joints in acute gouty arthritis with damp-heat syndrome (AD) rats, increasing the threshold of heat pain, increasing water intake (P < 0.01), and inhibiting abnormal changes in the content of fatty acid oxidation related enzymes (P < 0.01). Western blot analysis showed that Shirebi granules increased the protein expression levels of Wnt and β-catenin (P < 0.01) while decreasing the protein expression of p65, p-p65 and PPARγ (P < 0.01) in rats with gouty arthritis and damp-heat syndrome. The results showed that Shirebi granules may reverse the "inflammation-immune" imbalance and lipid metabolism disorder by regulating the crosstalk of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, and play a role in alleviating the severity of the disease. This study provides a methodological reference for elucidating the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulas. It also presents research ideas for the appropriate clinical use of Chinese patent medicines and the development of new clinical drugs for gouty arthritis therapy. The animal welfare and experiment procedures of this study were performed in accordance with the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of Experimental Research Center, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (grant No. ERCCACMS11-2302-08).

Exploring biological connotation of blood stasis syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis and establishment of improved animal models based on syndrome-symptom mapping / 药学学报

Blood stasis syndrome is one of the core clinical syndrome of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the biological connotation of this syndrome is not clear, and there is a lack of disease improved animal models that match the characteristics of this disease and syndrome. The aim of this study was to screen the candidate biomarker gene set of blood stasis syndrome of RA, reveal the biological connotation of this syndrome, and explore and evaluate the preparation method of the improved animal model based on the characteristics of "disease-syndrome-symptom". The study was approved by the ethics committee of Guang'anmen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. 2019-073-KY-01) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. TYLL2021[K]018), and the study subjects gave their informed consent. Animal welfare and experimental procedures followed the regulations of the Experimental Animal Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. IBTCMCACMS21-2207-01). The whole blood samples were collected clinically from RA patients with blood stasis syndrome (3 cases) or other syndromes (7 types, 3 cases/type), and healthy volunteers (4 cases), and then transcriptome sequencing, KEGG, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) analysis were performed. 126 pivotal genes were screened, and their functional annotation results were significantly enriched in "immune-inflammation" related pathways and lipid metabolism regulation (sphingolipids, ether lipid metabolism and steroid biosynthesis). Syndrome-symptom mapping of hub gene set to the TCM primary and secondary symptoms, Western phenotypic symptoms and pathological links showed that joint tingling, abnormal joint morphology, petechiae and abnormal blood circulation are representative of blood stasis syndrome of RA. The results of the improved animal model showed that the rats in the collagen-induced arthritis + adrenaline hydrochloride (CIA+Adr) 3 model group had increased blood rheology, coagulation, platelet function and endothelial function abnormalities compared with the CIA-alone model group, suggesting that the rats with blood stasis syndrome of RA may be in a state of "blood stasis". The results of the study can help to advance the objective study of the evidence of blood stasis syndrome in RA, and provide new ideas for the establishment of an animal model that reflects the clinical characteristics of the disease and syndrome.

Products distribution during in situ and ex situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of Chinese herb residues.

Catalytic fast pyrolysis (CFP) for biomass treatment is a research hotspot but there is little information about the difference between the in situ and ex situ methods. In present work, the Ni-Fe/CaO-Al2O3 catalysts with different Ni/Fe ratios have been synthesized by coprecipitation method, and the product distribution about the Chinese herb residue (CHR) catalytic fast pyrolysis by in situ and ex situ methods in a quartz tube reactor system has been investigated. The results show that the CFP pyrolysis would upgrade the quality of bio-oil but decrease the yields, no matter in situ or ex situ CFP process. During the in situ CFP process, heteroatoms may be absorbed by the catalyst support and cannot be transferred to the bio-oil, but the results of ex situ CFP are the opposite. In addition, the ex situ CFP reaction significantly increases the content of aromatic hydrocarbons. As to the gas products' distribution, the effect of Fe in catalysts to promote CH4 formation is reflected in in situ CFP process, while the promotion effect of H2 generation for Ni added in catalyst is mainly reflected in ex situ CFP process. However, due to the high reaction temperature (800 °C), the adsorption of CO2 by CaO support is not particularly significant. The possible mechanism of CHR in CFP process has also been summarized for understanding the process of in situ and ex situ CFP, and this study may provide a choice or reference for CHR treatment.

Effect of gestation dietary methionine-to-lysine ratio on methionine metabolism and antioxidant ability of high-prolific sows.

The uptake and metabolism of methionine (Met) are critical for epigenetic regulation, redox homeostasis, and embryo development. Our previous study showed that appropriate supplementation of dietary Met promoted the birth weight and placental angiogenesis of high-prolific sows. To further explore the metabolic effect of Met on pregnant sows, we have evaluated the influence of dietary Met level on Met metabolism, and the relationship between metabolites of Met and reproductive performance, antioxidant ability, and placental angiogenesis throughout the gestation of high-prolific sows. Sixty sows (the 3rd parity, Large White) were randomly divided into 5 groups that were fed diets with standardized ileal digestible (SID) methionine-to-lysine (Met:Lys) ratios of 0.27 (control), 0.32, 0.37, 0.42, and 0.47 from the mating day (gestational d 0, G0d) until the farrowing day. HPLC-MS/MS analysis was used to simultaneously evaluate the metabolites related to Met, e.g. S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), homocysteine (Hcy), cysteine (Cys), and glutathione (GSH). The concentration of SAM and SAH in plasma had significant fluctuations, especially in late pregnancy. Increasing dietary Met supplementation significantly improved the plasma SAM and methylation potential (SAM-to-SAH ratio) at d 114 of pregnancy (G114d). Moreover, a positive association of the plasma SAM concentration at G114d was observed with the litter weight of born alive (P < 0.05; R 2 = 0.58). Furthermore, Hcy concentration in plasma was at the lowest level for 0.37 ratio group at G114d. However, it significantly increased during late pregnancy. Moreover, there were negative correlations between plasma Hcy concentration at G114d (P < 0.05) and the placental vascular density in the fold and stroma (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in the placenta tissue of 0.37 ratio group increased significantly (P < 0.05). Collectively, these findings indicate that dietary Met:Lys ratio (0.37 to 0.57) in the pregnant diet dose not influence the antioxidant ability of the high-prolific sows; however, the improvement of fetal development and placental angiogenesis of high-prolific sows by supplementation of Met are closely associated to the key Met-related metabolite of SAM and Hcy, respectively.

Investigation on Compatibility Characteristics and Mechanism of Baimai Ointment in Intervening "White Vein" by Integrating Bioinformatics Analysis and Prescription Rule Discovery / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the mechanism and compatibility characteristics of Baimai ointment （BMO） in the treatment of white vein disease from the network perspective based on system theory， so as to provide biological basis for its clinical application. Method:The chemical components and the corresponding candidate target spectra of BMO were obtained from The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP）. According to the clinicopathological characteristics of white vein disease， focusing on four diseases/symptoms including neuropathic pain， inflammatory pain， chronic pain and lumbar disc herniation root neuralgia， the gene sets related to white vein disease were collected in Human Phenotype Ontology （HPO）， DisGeNET and other databases， then the interaction network of the targets of active components in BMO-gene sets related to white vein disease was constructed. On this basis， the hub network nodes were selected and enriched for exploring the mechanism of four functional groups of BMO in the treatment of white vein disease such as Huoxue Tongluo group （Curcumae Longae Rhizoma， Moschus， Tronae）， Xingqi Zhitong group （Myristicae Semen， Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma， Acori Calami Rhizoma）， Wenjing Sanhan Tongluo group （Zingiberis Rhizoma， Zanthoxyli Pericarpium， Caraway） and Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group （Actinolite， Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma）. Result:The enriched pathways of the four functional groups in BMO were mainly distributed in three modules of nervous system function， inflammation-immune system regulation and body energy metabolism， and each module was connected by common target genes especially had its own focus. Among them， the regulation of nervous system function in Huoxue Tongluo group and Xingqi Zhitong group could be summarized as Huoxue Buqi and Xingshen Kaiqiao. Xingqi Zhitong group and Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group were mainly used to promote the operation of Qi， promote blood metaplasia， enhance immunity and maintain the regulation of inflammation-immune system. Jianpi Wenshen Qianggu group and Wenjing Sanhan Tongluo group mainly regulated body energy metabolism by invigorating the spleen and supplementing Qi as well as warm-heat medicine. The whole formula focused on the multi-dimensional and multi-level mechanism of BMO in the intervention of white vein disease. Each functional group emphasized its respective characteristics in nervous system function， inflammation-immune regulation， and body energy metabolism. Two types of networks analysis models complemented and verified each other. Conclusion:BMO plays a role in the treatment of white vein disease mainly by regulating the function of nervous system， maintaining the balance of inflammation-immune system and interfering with energy metabolism. The relevant research results can provide reference for the in-depth exploration of the mechanism of BMO， and help to guide the clinical rational use of this preparation.

Investigation on Anti-liver Cancer Potential and Compatibility Characteristics of Fufang Biejia Ruangan Pian from Network Perspective / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To explore the anti-liver cancer potential of Fufang Biejia Ruangan Pian （FBRP） and its compatibility characteristics from a network perspective， so as to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical repositioning of FBRP. Method:Three self-pairs of cancer and para-cancerous tissue samples were collected from three patients with primary liver cancer， and the whole genome expression profiling chip was used to detect the differential genes related to the development and progression of liver cancer. After collecting the phenotype-related genes and the candidate targets of the corresponding prescriptions of FBRP from The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine （ETCM） and Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine （TCMIP） V2.0， the "differentially expressed genes related to liver cancer development-candidate targets of FBRP efficacy substance group" interaction network was constructed according to the interaction information between the above-mentioned differentially expressed genes related to liver cancer and the candidate targets of the FBRP efficacy group， and then the major network nodes were screened. After that， the enrichment analysis of the pathway was performed in order to explore the biological basis of various pharmacological efficacy groups of FBRP， including Xiaozheng Sanjie group （Trionycis Carapax and Curcumae Rhizoma）， Buxue Huoxue group （Paeoniae Radix Rubra， Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma）， Yiqi Jianpi group （Codonopsis Radix and Astragali Radix）， Yuyin Yanggan group （Placenta Hominis and Cordyceps） and Qingre Jiedu group （Isatidis Radix and Forsythiae Fructus）. Result:The major network targets of the five efficacy groups may be involved into several common pathways but also associated with some special pathological processes. Those common pathways mainly contained the regulation of nervous system， the balance of immune-inflammatory system， the regulation of energy metabolism of various substances and cancer-related pathways， while the point was also reflected by the follows：①The regulating effects of Xiaozheng Sanjie group and Yiqi Jianpi group were summarized as promoting Qi circulation and relieving depression and replenishing Qi-blood， benefiting spirit. Buxue Huoxue group may also participate in the regulation of promoting Qi circulation and relieving depression and Yuyin Yanggan group may participate in the regulation of replenishing Qi-blood and benefiting spirit. ②The regulatory effects of the Xiaozheng Sanjie group and the Yuyin Yanggan group were summarized as essence， Qi and blood supplement. Buxue Huoxue group focused on the improvement of the immune-circulatory system. Qingre Jiedu group mainly regulated the balance of immune-inflammatory system by acting on T cell receptor signaling pathway. ③Yiqi Jianpi group was demonstrated to show the effects on various material and energy metabolisms. Yuyin Yanggan group exerted effects on lipid metabolism， carbohydrate metabolism， protein metabolism and hormone metabolism. Qingre Jiedu group was also involved into metabolism of nucleotide and hormone. ④In the aspect of alleviating the pathological changes of cancer， the regulatory effects of the five efficacy groups on cell cycle and other functions could be summarized as dispelling pathogenic factors. ⑤The whole prescription focused on the anti-liver cancer potential of FBRP as a whole， while each efficacy group emphasized that each efficacy group had its own functional characteristics. The two network analysis models complemented and verified each other. Conclusion:FBRP has the anti-hepatoma potential. By revealing the biological connotation of its efficacy and the rationality of the compatibility， the regulation mechanism of FBRP to correct the imbalance network of inflammation and cancer in liver is clarified， which can provide the possibility and biological basis for FBRP to increase the clinical indications for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.

Maternal eicosapentaenoic acid feeding promotes placental angiogenesis through a Sirtuin-1 independent inflammatory pathway.

Maternal overnutrition or obesity is associated with a wide range of metabolic disorders and may impair placental angiogenesis. Previous studies have shown that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) promote fetal growth in both rodents and humans. Whether n-3 PUFA impacts on placental angiogenesis in vivo remains unclear. Sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) is a protein deacetylase that plays an important role in regulating inflammation and endothelial function. Little information is available on a putative role of SIRT1 in placental angiogenesis. The goal of this study was to examine the capability of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to regulate angiogenesis and inflammation in SIRT1-deficient placentas. In the present study, male and female SIRT1+/- mice were mated overnight, then primiparous SIRT1+/- mice were fed a 60% kcal HFD or equienergy EPA diet (4.4% EPA-ethyl ester). We found that the EPA diet significantly improved maternal insulin sensitivity and decreased plasma levels of inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNFα concentration. Moreover, EPA treatment promoted fetus growth and placental angiogenesis, and inhibited the hypoxia inducible factor-1α(HIF1α) pathway. SIRT1 deficiency exhibited an opposite effect, leading to decrease in placental angiogenesis and fetal weight. No significant effect was observed between diet and genotype. Here, we reported for the first time that EPA treatment increased the expression of placental inflammatory genes and promoted translocation of NFκB into the nucleus. On the contrary, SIRT1-deficient placentas showed a decreased inflammation state. Together, these data demonstrate a previously unknown role of EPA to promote placental angiogenesis through a SIRT1 independent inflammatory pathway.

Identification of biomarkers to response of Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets acting on rheumatoid arthritis by integrating transcriptional data mining and biomolecular network analysis / 中国中药杂志

Growing clinical evidence shows that a partial rheumatoid arthritis( RA) patient treated with Tripterygium Glycosides Tablets( TGT) may fail to achieve clinical improvement. It is of great clinical significance to predict the therapeutic effect of TGT in RA. Therefore,the aim of the current study was to identify potential biomarkers for TGT treatment in RA. Affymetrix EG1.0 arrays were applied to detect gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from 6 RA patients( 3 responders and 3 non-responders) treated with TGT. By integrating differential expression data analysis and biomolecular network analysis,360 mRNAs( 185 up-regulated and 175 down-regulated) and 24 miRNAs( 7 up-regulated and 17 down-regulated) which were differentially expressed between TGT responder and non-responder groups were identified. A total of 206 candidate target genes for the differentially expressed miRNAs were obtained based on miRanada and Target Scan databases,and then the miRNA target gene coexpression network and miRNA-mediated gene signal transduction network were constructed. Following the network analyses,three candidate miRNAs biomarkers( hsa-miR-4720-5 p,hsa-miR-374 b-5 p,hsa-miR-185-3 p) were identified as candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. Partialleast-squares( PLS) was applied to construct a model for predicting response to TGT based on the expression levels of the candidate gene biomarkers in RA patients. The five-fold cross-validation showed that the prediction accuracy( ACC) of this PLS-based model efficacy was 100.00%,100.00%,100.00%,66.67% and 66.67% respectively,and all the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve( AUC) were 1.00,indicating the highly predictive efficiency of this PLS-based model. In conclusion,the integrating transcription data mining and biomolecular network investigation show that hsa-mir-4720-5 p,hsa-mir-374 b-5 p and hsa-mir-185-3 p may be candidate biomarkers predicting individual response to TGT. In addition,the PLS model based on the expression levels of these candidate biomarkers may be helpful for the clinical screen of RA patients,which potentially benefit individualized therapy of RA in a daily clinical setting.

An exploration into the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of paeoniflorin in the treatment of adjuvant-induced arthritis rats by a network pharmacology-based research strategy / 药学学报

Paeoniflorin (PAE), the major active compounds of Chinese herbs Radix Paeoniae Alba andChinese patent drug "Total Glucosides of Paeony Capsules", which is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), exerted multi-pharmacological activities, such as anti-inflammatory, immune-regulatory, etc. However, its potential action mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we predicted the putative targets of Radix Paeoniae Alba and constructed an interaction network of putative targets of Radix Paeoniae Alba and known RA-related genes. A list of key putative targets was identified by calculating their topological features (degree, node betweenness and closeness) in the above pharmacological network. Importantly, pathway enrichment analysis revealed that these key putative targets were significantly enriched in several RA-related pathways, including cartilage damage-related IL1B-TNF-TLR2-JUN-MMP1-MMP3 signaling pathway. Further molecular docking simulation showed that PAE, the major active compounds of Radix Paeoniae Alba, has strong binding affinity with MMP1 and MMP3 proteins. Next, in vivo experiments based on the adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) animal models showed that PAE significantly alleviated the disease severity and the syndromes of severe redness or swelling in hind limbs of AIA rats, including decreasing the arthritis score, the diameter of the limbs, and elevating body weight and pain thresholds (all P<0.05). ELISA assay indicated that PAE obviously suppressed the abnormal up-regulation of serum inflammatory factors including IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 and IFN-γ in AIA rats (all P<0.001). Western blot analysis found that PAE simultaneously modulated the abnormal up-regulation of MMP1 and MMP3 proteins in the ankle tissues of AIA rats (all P<0.001) (all procedures in the current study were performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the Center for Laboratory Animal Care, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences). In conclusion, PAE alleviated the cartilage damage and disease severity in the progressive process of RA via regulating the IL1B-TNF-TLR2-JUN-MMP1-MMP3 pathway. This study provided the theoretical basis of the PAE for its immune-regulatory effects, and as well provided references for the action mechanism study of extract compounds of Chinese herbs.

A comparative study on the mechanisms of two classical herbal formulae for rheumatoid arthritis applying cold and heat patterns based on target network / 药学学报

Wu-tou decoction (WTD) and Baihu-Guizhi decoction (BHGZD) as described in the Synopsis of the Golden Chamber have been used extensively for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with apparent therapeutic efficacy. However, characteristics of pharmacological effects and their underlying molecular mechanisms have not been fully elucidated due to a lack of appropriate scientific methodology. In the current study, we performed an integrative approach applying gene expression profiling and network analysis to examine the therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of WTD and BHGZD based on adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) animal model. Results demonstrated that both WTD and BHGZD could relieve the severity of arthritis in AIA rats, while the significant differences were observed in the changes of the withdrawal response scores and latency time of AIA rats treated with WTD and BHGZD. Mechanistically, our network pharmacology-based investigation demonstrated that the major candidate targets of WTD and BHGZD were significantly associated with several inflammation-immune regulatory pathways, such as Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, B cell receptor signaling pathway, antigen processing and presentation, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, natural killer cell mediated cytotoxicity, as well as leukocyte transendothelial migration. In particular, the major candidate targets of WTD were also involved in the regulation of hormone and energy metabolism, which might be imbalanced during RA progression. In conclusion, the current study revealed differences and similarities regarding the effects and network regulatory mechanisms of WTD and BHGZD. These findings may present a scientific basis for elucidation of mechanisms by which WTD and BHGZD alleviates RA.

Effect of oregano essential oil and benzoic acid supplementation to a low-protein diet on meat quality, fatty acid composition, and lipid stability of longissimus thoracis muscle in pigs.

BACKGROUND: Consumers are becoming increasingly interested in food containing appropriately high concentration of intramuscular fat (IMF) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The supplementation of feed with antioxidants decreases degradation of lipids in muscles thereby enhances nutritional and sensory properties of meat. Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of adding oregano essential oil (OEO) and benzoic acid (BA) to low-protein, amino acid-supplemented diets on meat quality, sensory profile, fatty acid composition, and lipid oxidation of longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle in pigs. METHODS: In Exp. 1, 21 barrows were housed in metabolism cages and randomly allotted to 1 of 3 diets. The three diets were normal protein diet (NPD), medium protein diet (MPD) and low protein diet (LPD) with 1% and 2% less than NPD, respectively. In Exp. 2, 36 barrows were randomly divided into three experimental groups, namely, NPD, LPD, and identical LPD supplemented with blends of OEO (250 mg/kg feed) and BA (1000 mg/kg feed) (LPOB) groups. RESULTS: No significant effects of diets on meat quality were observed in Exp. 1. The b*45min, tenderness, and IMF content in LPD muscle were higher than those in NPD and LPOB muscle. The LT muscle in LPD group contained a higher percentage of oleic acid (C18:1n-9) and a lower percentage of linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) than those in NPD group. Dietary LPOB improved oxidative stability, total superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase but decreased drip loss in LT muscle. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that growing-finishing pigs fed with a low-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet show a high content of intramuscular fat in the longissimus thoracis muscle. Dietary LPOB enhances the anti-oxidative status by improving antioxidative capacity but deteriorates the sensory attributes by decreasing IMF content of meat.

Effect of oregano essential oil supplementation to a reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet on meat quality, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stability of Longissimus thoracis muscle in growing-finishing pigs.

This study investigated the effects of reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet supplementation with oregano essential oil (OEO) in pigs, from growing period to slaughter, on the meat quality, fatty acid composition, and oxidative stability of Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle. Thirty-six barrows were randomly divided into three experimental treatments, namely, normal protein diet (NPD), reduced-protein, amino acid-supplemented diet (RPD), and identical RPD supplemented (250mg/kg feed) with OEO (OEO) treatments. Dietary RPD and OEO increased the b*45min, tenderness, overall acceptance, and intramuscular fat (IMF) content of pork compared with dietary NPD. The percentage of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) and the percentage of monounsaturated fatty acid in OEO muscle were higher and lower than those in RPD muscle, respectively. Dietary OEO improved oxidative stability, total antioxidative capacity, and catalase but decreased drip loss in LT muscle. Results indicated that dietary OEO enhanced the sensory attributes and anti-oxidative status of pork meat by improving IMF and n-3 PUFA proportion and antioxidative capacity.