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Copyright of Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science & Technology is the property of Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science & Technology Periodical Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Intentions to purchase meat and repeat purchasing patterns will depend on the consumer's perception of intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues. In order to discover consumers' insights into the quality of pork and beef, the main objective of this study was to investigate meat color, marbling, and types of fresh meat defects. A total of 50 samples of meat were analyzed for three quality characteristics on different levels. This study applied a statistical calculation of a loss function invented by Taguchi. The results showed the values of variations in meat color and marbling that present the limits of consumers' tolerance. Based on the obtained results, it was determined that the tolerable level of color variations of beef is 3.61, while for pork, this limit is 2.00. The most preferred marbling percentages were 21% and 5.74% for beef and pork, respectively. On the other hand, the negative effect of defects was the strongest for "dark cutting" for beef and "blood spotting" for pork loins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This study evaluated the effects of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) on the growth performance, meat quality, carcass traits, blood profile, and cecal bacteria of broiler chickens. MLP-fed broilers showed the highest weight gain, average daily feed intake, and best feed efficiency, as evidenced by a lower feed conversion ratio. MLP also enhanced meat quality, indicated by higher pH, lower cooking loss, and reduced cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Positive impacts on the blood profile included increased red blood cell count, higher hemoglobin levels, and a lower stress indicator (H/L ratio). Additionally, MLP positively changed the cecal bacterial population by reducing harmful E. coli and Shigella spp. while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus spp. Thus, MLP is a promising natural feed additive for improving broiler growth, meat quality, overall health, and producing antibiotic-free and healthier broilers for consumers. The effect of dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) on the growth, meat quality, carcass characteristics, hematobiochemical profile, and cecal bacteria of broiler chicken was investigated in this research trial. In this study, 192-day-old Arbor Acre broiler chicks were assigned in a completely randomized design to three groups: control, antibiotic, and MLP. A standard basal diet was given to the control group, while the antibiotic group received 75 mg/kg chlortetracycline, and the MLP group received 100 mg/kg M. oleifera leaf powder supplemented basal diet. Each group was further divided into eight replicates consisting of eight birds each, and the trial ran for 35 days. Among the groups, the MLP-fed broilers achieved the highest final body weight (FBW), average daily gain (ADG), and average daily feed intake (ADFI). Notably, the FCR for the whole experimental period was lower in the MLP group, indicating a more efficient use of feed for growth. Supplementation of MLP with basal diet significantly increased (p < 0.05) the weight of thighs and drumsticks relative to live weight %, while the spleen and abdominal fat weight (% of live weight) were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Adding MLP to the diet improved the meat quality of broilers, as indicated by the highest pH of meat at 45 min and the lowest cooking loss (%) observed in this group. MLP exhibited hypocholesterolemic and hypolipidemic effects, with the lowest total cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared to non-supplemented groups. The hematological profile revealed that the MLP group exhibited the highest RBC count and Hb level, while also showing the lowest H/L ratio. Moringa supplementation significantly (p < 0.05) modulated the cecal bacterial population, reducing pathogenic E. coli and Shigella spp. while increasing beneficial Lactobacillus spp. and the total aerobic plate count (TAPC). In conclusion, Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MLP) can be used as a natural feed supplement for promoting the growth, meat quality, healthy blood, and sound health of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated how the impact of various slaughtering methods affects the quality of beef in Akure South and North Local Government Areas of Ondo State, Nigeria, utilizing questionnaire-based data collection, the study employed a multi-stage sampling method involving 40 cattle butchers. Results show that 97.5% of the butchers were male, with skinning and singeing being the most common methods of carcass dressing. Statistical analysis revealed no significant differences in cooking loss with the highest values (42.19 ± 0.77 %) observed in singeing, while skinning had the lowest value (40.52 ± 1.19%). Meat samples from the singeing had the highest thaw loss value (3.10 ± 0.62%) compared to skinning (1.45 ± 0.54%). The sensory evaluation shows no significant (p>0.05) difference. Skinning had the highest values (6.13 ± 0.21, 6.20 ± 0.17) for juiciness and tenderness, while singeing had the lowest values (6.12 ± 0.10, 5.92 ± 0.28). Singeing had the highest values for flavour and overall acceptability (6.05 ± 0.23, 6.43 ± 0.17) compared to skinning (5.98 ± 0.20,6.40 ± 0.26). There was no significant difference (p>0.05) observed in the microbial status. Singeing meat recorded the highest bacterial count at 14.00 CFU/ml x 10-7, while skinning had the lowest count (4.50 CFU/ml x 10-7). Skin samples also presented the highest number of microbial isolates, including coliforms such as E. coli, observed in both singeing and skinning methods. Meticulous handling ensures food safety and satisfaction; skinning reduces bacterial contamination and produces tender meat compared to singeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the impact of Chlorella vulgaris supplementation in broilers' diet, alone or in combination with vitamin E, on meat quality parameters, nutritional value, and oxidative stability during storage time. An experiment was conducted on 180 COBB 500 broiler chickens (14 days old), assigned into six treatments, following a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. A corn–soybean meal diet was supplemented with three levels of C. vulgaris (0% in group C1, 1% in E1, 2% in E2), two levels of vitamin E (0% in C1, 250 ppm in C2), and a combination of them (1% C. vulgaris + 250 ppm vitamin (E3), 2% C. vulgaris + 250 ppm vitamin (E4)). Dietary incorporation of C. vulgaris, including those supplemented with vitamin E, resulted in a significant increase in meat protein content. DPA and DHA levels increased by 2.01-fold and 1.60-fold in the 2% C. vulgaris + vitamin E group. The PUFA/SFA ratio was increased across all dietary treatments (p < 0.0001). HPI and h/H registered the highest values as a result of 2% C. vulgaris supplementation, being linked with a positive effect in lowering cholesterol levels. Supplementation with 2% C. vulgaris and vitamin E exhibited a 1.45-fold increase in vitamin E concentration in thigh meat compared to the control group, being the highest level registered in thigh meat in this experiment. Metmyoglobin concentrations registered lower values in the thigh meat of the experimental groups, while deoxymyoglobin increased in the same groups when compared to the control group. The inclusion of C. vulgaris (1% and 2%) in combination with vitamin E (250 mg/kg) in broiler diets exhibited the best prevention of lipid oxidation after 7 days of refrigerated storage, defined by the highest efficiency factors assessed in terms of secondary oxidation products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat of local livestock breeds often has unique qualities and flavors. In this study, three Shanghai native pig breeds (MSZ, SWT, and SHB) exhibited better meat quality traits than globalized commercial pig breeds (DLY). Subsequently, metabolomic and lipidomic differences in the longissimus dorsi (L) and gluteus (T) muscles of the Shanghai native pig breeds and DLY pig breed were compared using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). The results demonstrated that the metabolites mainly consisted of (28.16%) lipids and lipid-like molecules, and (25.87%) organic acids and their derivatives were the two most dominant groups. Hundreds of differential expression metabolites were identified in every compared group, respectively. One-way ANOVA was applied to test the significance between multiple groups. Among the 20 most abundant differential metabolites, L-carnitine was significantly different in the muscles of the four pig breeds (p-value = 7.322 × 10−11). It was significantly higher in the L and T muscles of the two indigenous black pig breeds (MSZ and SWT) than in the DLY pigs (p-value < 0.001). Similarly, lipidomic analysis revealed the PA (18:0/18:2) was significantly more abundant in the muscle of these two black breeds than that in the DLY breed (p-value < 0.001). These specific metabolites and lipids might influence the meat quality and taste properties and lead to customer preferences. Therefore, this study provided insights into the characterization of meat metabolites and lipids in Shanghai native pig breeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global population continuous growth and increasing consumers' demands for protein-rich diets have posed sustainability challenges for traditional livestock feed sources. Consequently, exploring alternative and sustainable protein sources has become imperative to address the environmental burden and resource limitations associated with conventional ingredients. With respect to food security assurance, insects have emerged as a promising solution due to their exceptional nutritional profile, rapid reproduction rates, and low environmental impact. In the present pilot study, 10% of a soybean meal-based diet was replaced by adult mosquitoes harvested from rice fields. The objective was to assess the effect of this partial substitution on meat quality aspects and consumer acceptance. A total of 40 Cobb hybrid broiler chickens were randomly placed in a control and a mosquito-fed group. The study was conducted for 42 days and carcass physicochemical, nutritional, and microbiological characteristics, as well as sensory attributes were evaluated. Overall, results regarding quality attributes were comparable between the control and the treatment group. The organoleptic evaluation showed that the thighs from the mosquito-fed group had the highest overall consumer acceptance. These outcomes indicate that mosquitoes could be successfully used as a protein source for broiler feed without compromising the quality and acceptability of the meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Food Research & Development is the property of Food Research & Development Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study aimed to evaluate the decontamination efficacy of clove oil on broiler Pectoralis major fillets natural spoilage-flora and Salmonella contamination compared to chlorine and a commercial triple-mixture of peroxyacetic acid (PAA). Furthermore, the intervention’s impact on breast fillet shelf-life and physicochemical quality was investigated. Thirty-six fillets (fillets n = 3 × storage-period n = 6 × replication n = 2) were dipped in one of four treatments: sterile water (control), chlorine (50 ppm), clove (1.5%) or PAA (225 ppm). For Salmonella-inoculated experiment, 18 fillets were dipped per treatment (fillet n = 3 × storage-period n = 6). Overall, the PAA retarded most spoilage microflora and Salmonella growth, particularly aerobic plate count, below the unacceptable spoilage level of 6 log CfU/g for 9 chilling-days. However, specific meat quality metrics, particularly oxidative stability, were negatively impacted by PAA. Clove exhibited a lower and/or similar, but delayed, antibacterial effect on spoilage-flora and Salmonella levels than PAA, along with an impressive antioxidant protective effect on fillets attributes, particularly lightness and appearance. Chlorine at the current recommended dose did not extend shelf-life beyond six days or reduce Salmonella growth, although it generated lower yellowness, higher redness, and tenderness scores than other treatments. Treatments did not prolong the fillets shelf-life beyond 6 cooling-days due to oxidizing properties of PAA, diminished chlorine concentration, and shorter contact time of clove. Cloves could therefore be sprayed in another step before final packaging to extend contact-time and boost antioxidant and antibacterial barriers. Lower doses and shorter exposure durations seem desirable and could contribute to minimize the PAA negative oxidative effect on meat quality parameters. Article Highlights Natural and chemical antimicrobial dippings can lower broiler initial bacteria load but do not boost meat shelf life. The PAA strong antimicrobial benefits are hindered by negative oxidative impacts on the quality of broiler fillets. Pre-packaging clove application potentially maximizes preservative benefits on fillets and reducing dipping obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate difference in the quality of the different parts (back, tail muscles, and fish skin) of Opsariichthys bidens from pond and rice field cultures, a comparative study was conducted in terms of nutritional composition, volatile flavor profiles and gut microbiota. In detail, the texture, free amino acids, fatty acids were further assessed. The results suggested that the moisture content, crude protein and crude fat content in the skin of O. bidens are higher than those in the back and tail muscles, regardless of breeding modes. The fish cultured in the rice field had a higher protein content than those from the pond culture, while the fat content of the rice field-cultured fish was significantly low compared to the fish from the pond culture, especially in the back and tail parts. A total of 43 volatile components were detected by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), with a maximum of 18 types of aldehydes and the highest concentration being nonanal. Compared to pond cultures, the fish from the rice field cultures showed more abundant flavor composition and odor-active compounds. The total content of DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) in the rice field-cultured fish was higher than that of the pond group, while no significant disparity in amino acid composition was observed (p > 0.05). Comparative and clustering analyses of gut microbiota revealed notable discrepancies in the gut microbiota of O. bidens from two aquaculture systems. However, an inherent correlation between the gut microbiome and meat quality would be further emphasized in further studies. This study can offer a theoretical reference for the development of high-quality aquatic products by selecting the appropriate aquaculture models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finding environmentally friendly, effective and residue‐free alternatives to antibiotics has become a research priority. This is due to the ban on antibiotics in animal feed. Curcumin is a polyphenol extracted from the rhizome of turmeric that has antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. Curcumin has been widely demonstrated as a traditional flavoured agent and herbal medicine in the fight against diseases. In recent years, curcumin has been extensively studied in animal production, especially in poultry production. This article reviews the source, structure, metabolism and biological functions of curcumin and focuses on the application of curcumin in poultry production. In terms of production performance, curcumin can improve the growth performance of poultry, increase the egg production rate of laying hens and alleviate the negative effects of heat stress on the production performance of poultry and livestock. In terms of meat quality, curcumin can improve poultry meat quality by regulating lipid metabolism and antioxidant capacity. In terms of health, curcumin can improve immunity. Since mycotoxins have been a major problem in poultry production, this article also reviews the role of curcumin in helping poultry resist toxins. It is hoped that the review in this article can provide a concrete theoretical basis and research ideas for the research and application of curcumin in the field of poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of pu-erh tea residue added to the feeding ration on the meat quality of chahua chicken No. 2. One hundred and fortyfour chahua chicken No. 2 were selected and randomly divided into 3 groups of 6 replicates each, with 8 chickens in each replicate. The control group was fed the basal diet, and the 1% and 2% tea residue groups were added 1% and 2% levels of pu-erh tea residue to the basal diet, respectively. On 28 days, the chicken meat quality was measured at the end of the test. The results showed as follows: ① compared with the control group, there were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the physical characteristics of breast and thigh muscle quality (L* value, a* value, b* value, pH45 min, pH24 h, water loss, cooking loss rate, shear force) and conventional nutrients (crude protein, crude fat and crude ash content) in the 1% and 2% tea residue groups. There was no significant difference in the content of each amino acid in the breast muscle in the 1% tea residue group as well as the content of each amino acid in the thigh muscle in the 2% tea residue group as compared to the control group (P> 0.05). ② Compared with the control group, the Asp, Thr, Ser, Glu, Ala, Cys, Val, Ile, Leu, Tyr, Lys, UAA and TAA contents of the breast muscles of the 2% tea residue groups were highly significantly reduced (P<0.01), Met, Phe, His, Arg, SAA, BAA, EAA and NEAA contents were significantly reduced (P< 0.05), Gly and Pro contents were not significant (P>0.05), and the 1% tea residue groups showed highly significant (P<0.01) decrease in Tyr content of thigh muscle, significant (P<0.05) decrease in Asp, Thr, Ser, Glu, Ala, Val, Ile, Leu, Phe, Lys, Arg, UAA, SAA, BAA, EAA, NEAA, and TAA content, and no Gly, Cys, Met, His, and Pro content significant changes (P>0.05). It can be seen that the addition of 1% and 2% pu-erh tea residue to the ration reduced the amino acid content of the thigh and breast muscles and muscle flavor of chahua chicken No. 2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: After approximately two decades of controlled breeding at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences in China, Luchuan (LC) pigs have developed two distinct phenotypes: one with obesity (FLC) and the other with leanness (LLC). Since recent research suggests a link between microorganisms and the development of these different phenotypes, this study investigated the fecal microbiota profiles and serum metabolites of FLC and LLC pigs. We found significant changes in the microbiota and metabolites between the two groups. The correlation studies showed a significant link between the modified microbiota, metabolites, and the observed phenotypic differences in the LC pigs. Notably, Jeotgalicoccus was positively correlated with the body weight and chest circumference, but negatively correlated with certain metabolites like 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and N1-pyrazin-2-yl-4-chlorobenzamide, which were positively associated with Bacteroides. These findings provide strong evidence for a new connection between the gut microbiome, metabolome, and phenotypic variation in LC pigs. Luchuan (LC) pigs are a Chinese breed renowned for their distinctive black and white coloring, superior meat quality and rapid reproduction, but their growth rate is slow. Over the course of approximately two decades of controlled breeding, the LC pigs maintained at the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Shanghai, China) have diverged into two phenotypes: one characterized by obesity (FLC) and the other by leanness (LLC). Recent studies indicate a correlation between microorganisms and the differentiation of host phenotypes. In this study, we examined the fecal microbiota profiles and serum metabolites of FLC and LLC pigs. The body weight, chest circumference, and alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase enzyme activities were increased in the FLC pigs compared to the LLC pigs. Conversely, the levels of the Fusobacterium and Streptococcus genera were lower in the FLC pigs, while the number of Firmicutes, Lactobacillus, Phascolartobacterium, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group members were higher. A total of 52 metabolites were altered between the two groups, with many playing crucial roles in prolactin signaling, oocyte meiosis, and aldosterone-regulated sodium reabsorption pathways. The correlation analyses demonstrated a significant association between the modified microbiota and metabolites and the phenotypic variations observed in the LC pigs. Specifically, Jeotgalicoccus was positively correlated with the body weight and chest circumference, but was negatively correlated with metabolites such as 2-mercaptobenzothiazole and N1-pyrazin-2-yl-4-chlorobenzamide, which were positively associated with Bacteroides. These results provide compelling evidence for a novel relationship between the gut microbiome and metabolome in the phenotypic differentiation of LC pigs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Simple Summary: Currently, research on livestock production suffers from isolation from other disciplines and a generalist nature, which makes publishing in top-tier journals a very difficult task. This situation is even more drastic when it comes to turkey meat research, which is an underdeveloped area that has historically suffered from a lack of resources compared to other species. For this reason, the aim of the present study is to develop a tool that allows researchers to determine which carcass and meat quality traits are related to increased interest by the scientific community and the quality standards of the journals in which studies are published. Variables improving journal standards include carcass dressing traits, muscle fibers properties, pH, colorimetry, some texture and water captivity traits, and chemical composition. Contrarily, carcass or piece yield is not a recommended variable to be performed in studies, as this parameter did not show a clear impact on publication quality. Finally, measures after 72 h are contraindicated since they showed a correlation with poor journal quality standards. Thus, this work can be used as a guideline for designing turkey carcass and meat quality studies, describing parameters to prioritize in order to maximize the impact quality of publication in the scientific community. The present research aims to describe how turkey meat and carcass quality traits define the interest of the scientific community through the quality standards of journals in which studies are published. To this end, an analysis of 92 research documents addressing the study of turkey carcass and meat quality over the last 57 years was performed. Meat and carcass quality attributes were dependent variables and included traits related to carcass dressing, muscle fiber, pH, colorimetry, water-holding capacity, texture, and chemical composition. The independent variables comprised publication quality traits, including journal indexation, database, journal impact factor (JIF), quartile, publication area, and JIF percentage. For each dependent variable, a data-mining chi-squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) decision tree was developed. Carcass or piece yield was the only variable that did not show an impact on the publication quality. Moreover, color and pH measurements taken at 72 h postmortem showed a negative impact on publication interest. On the other hand, variables including water-retaining attributes, colorimetry, pH, chemical composition, and shear force traits stood out among the quality-enhancing variables due to their low inclusion in papers, while high standards improved power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The application of advantages can not only effectively improve the disease resistance and meat quality of livestock, but also significantly promote the reproduction and growth of livestock and poultry. A total of 78,579 SNPs and 42,018 ROHs were detected from autosomal samples of 380 meat rabbits after quality control for whole-gene association analysis using a mixed linear model. The homozygosity of the population genome was evaluated, and the number, length, frequency, and distribution of ROHs in the population were analyzed. Notably, candidate genes associated with growth and development were found in the high-frequency ROH region. In this study, the identified candidate genes can be used as molecular markers for assisted selection in meat rabbits. At the same time, the inbreeding situation based on ROH evaluation can provide reference for breeding and breeding preservation of meat rabbits. The application of heterosis can not only effectively improve the disease resistance and meat quality of livestock, but also significantly enhance the reproduction and growth of livestock and poultry. We conducted genome-wide association studies using data from F2 crossbred meat rabbits to screen out candidate genes with significant dominant effects associated with economic trait variation. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to obtain SNPs covering the whole genome to evaluate the homozygosity of the population genome, and analyze the number, length, frequency, and distribution of ROHs in the population. Candidate genes related to economic traits of meat rabbits were searched based on high-frequency ROH regions. After quality control filtering of genotype data, 380 F2 crossbred rabbits were identified with 78,579 SNPs and 42,018 ROHs on the autosomes. The fitting of the Logistic growth curve model showed that 49-day-old rabbits were a growth inflection point. Then, through genome-wide association studies, 10 SNP loci and seven growth trait candidate genes were found to be significantly related to body weight in meat rabbits at 84 days of age. In addition, we revealed the functional roles and locations of 20 candidate genes in the high-frequency ROH region associated with economic traits in meat rabbits. This study identified potential genes associated with growth and development in the high-frequency ROH region of meat rabbits. In this study, the identified candidate genes can be used as molecular markers for assisted selection in meat rabbits. At the same time, the inbreeding situation based on ROH assessment can provide reference for breeding and breeding preservation of meat rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In meat production, the fat within an animal's muscles, known as intramuscular fat (IMF), is key to quality. This study investigated how breeding rabbits for higher or lower IMF levels affect their gut microorganisms. We focused on a rabbit population that was bred over 10 generations to achieve either high-IMF or low-IMF levels. Our findings show that genetic selection changes the gut's microbial composition, with more noticeable differences at the genus level than at the broader phylum level. High-IMF rabbits had different abundances of Escherichia, Methanobrevibacter, and Hungateiclostridium microorganisms compared to low-IMF rabbits, amongst others. We identified four specific microorganisms that could predict a rabbit's IMF genetic line with 78% accuracy. This research highlights the link between muscle fat genetics and gut microorganisms, opening the possibility of developing microbiome modulation strategies to influence IMF in animals, which could improve meat quality. Intramuscular fat (IMF) content is important for meat production and human health, where the host genetics and its microbiome greatly contribute to its variation. The aim of this study is to describe the consequences of the genetic modification of IMF by selecting the taxonomic composition of the microbiome, using rabbits from the 10th generation of a divergent selection experiment for IMF (high (H) and low (L) lines differ by 3.8 standard deviations). The selection altered the composition of the gut microbiota. Correlated responses were better distinguished at the genus level (51 genera) than at the phylum level (10 phyla). The H-line was enriched in Hungateiclostridium, Limosilactobacillus, Legionella, Lysinibacillus, Phorphyromonas, Methanosphaera, Desulfovibrio, and Akkermansia, while the L-line was enriched in Escherichia, Methanobrevibacter, Fonticella, Candidatus Amulumruptor, Methanobrevibacter, Exiguobacterium, Flintibacter, and Coprococcus, among other genera with smaller line differences. A microbial biomarker generated from the abundance of four of these genera classified the lines with 78% accuracy in a logit regression. Our results demonstrate different gut microbiome compositions in hosts with divergent IMF genotypes. Furthermore, we provide a microbial biomarker to be used as an indicator of hosts genetically predisposed to accumulate muscle lipids, which opens up the opportunity for research to develop probiotics or microbiome-based breeding strategies targeting IMF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Nutritional factors are crucial to performance and meat quality. We investigated the effects of dietary CP and lysine levels on growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and myofiber characteristics in slow-growing chicken and found that 18.0% CP increased BWG and shear force and had the lowest myofiber density and the largest myofiber diameter. Dietary lysine level affected myofiber diameter. Reducing dietary CP level and adding appropriate lysine can reduce myofiber diameter and increase perimysium thickness and endomysium thickness, therefore reducing shear force and improving meat tenderness. This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and lysine levels on growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and myofiber characteristics of slow-growing chicken. A 3 × 3 factorial experiment was arranged, and the chickens were fed with 3 levels of dietary CP (16.0%, 17.0%, 18.0%) and 3 levels of dietary lysine (0.69%, 0.84%, 0.99%). A total of 540 8-week-old Beijing-You Chicken (BYC) female growing chickens were randomly allocated to 9 groups, 5 replicates per group, and 12 chickens per replicate. The birds were randomly allocated to one of the 9 experimental diets. Growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, and myofiber characteristics were determined at 16 weeks of age. The results showed that dietary CP level and the interaction of dietary CP and lysine levels affected average feed intake (AFI) (p < 0.05). The AFI in the 16.0% CP and 17.0% CP groups was higher than in the 18.0% CP group (p < 0.05). Dietary CP levels significantly affected body weight gain (BWG) (p < 0.05) at 9 to 16 weeks. The 18.0% CP group had the highest BWG (93.99 g). Dietary CP levels affected the percentage of leg muscle yield, and the percentage of leg muscle yield of the 16.0% CP group was significantly lower than that in the other two groups (p < 0.05). Dietary CP and lysine levels alone and their interactions did not affect pH24h, drip loss, and cooking loss of breast muscle (p > 0.05). The shear force of the 18.0% CP group (29.55 N) was higher than that in the other two groups (p < 0.01). Dietary CP level affected myofiber characteristic (p < 0.01), with the lowest myofiber density (846.35 p·mm−2) and the largest myofiber diameter (30.92 μm) at 18.0% CP level. Dietary lysine level affected myofiber diameter, endomysium thickness, perimysium thickness (p < 0.01), with the largest myofiber diameter (29.29 μm) obtained at 0.84% lysine level, the largest endomysium thickness (4.58 μm) at 0.69% lysine level, and the largest perimysium thickness (9.26 μm) at 0.99% lysine level. Myofiber density was negatively correlated with myofiber diameter and endomysium thickness (R = −0.883, R = −0.523, p < 0.01); perimysium thickness had a significant negative correlation with shear force (R = −0.682, p < 0.05). Therefore, reducing dietary CP level and adding appropriate lysine can reduce myofiber diameter and increase perimysium thickness, reducing shear force and improving meat tenderness. A high lysine level (0.99%) in the low-CP (16.0%) diet can improve meat tenderness by regulating the myofiber characteristic without affecting production performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Soybean meal is the main constituent of poultry feed, and the global supply of soybeans has decreased because of an imbalance between its demand and supply, primarily caused by the growing world population and reduced cultivation area. Therefore, a cheap and environmentally sustainable alternative protein source is urgently needed to maintain the sustainability of poultry production. In this study, we demonstrated that substituting 12% of soybean meal with either fall armyworm larvae or black soldier fly larvae enhances the growth, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality of broiler chickens. Consequently, soybean meal can be substituted with protein-rich insects in the poultry feed. The primary challenge facing the global animal industry is the scarcity of protein feed resources. Various insects are gaining prominence as innovative feed sources due to their economic, environmentally friendly, and nutritious attributes. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a partial replacement of soybean meal with fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and black soldier fly Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) on the growth performances, blood parameters, gut histology, and meat quality of broilers. A total of 350 1-day-old (40 ± 0.15 g) male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to seven experimental meals. Each treatment was repeated five times with 50 birds per dietary treatment. The seven dietary treatments included 4, 8, and 12% replacements of SBM with larvae of S. frugiperda and H. illucens. SBM was the basal diet considered the control. The data showed that broilers fed 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens exhibited a significantly higher (p < 0.05) live weight, average daily weight gain, and improved the feed conversion ratio. Meals with 12% S. frugiperda or H. illucens significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) haematological and gut histological parameters, including villus height, crypt depth, villus width, and villus height/crypt depth ratios. The meat of broilers fed the 12% S. frugiperda diet showed significantly higher (p < 0.05) lightness and yellowness. Replacing soybean meal up to 12% with either S. frugiperda or H. illucens larvae improves the growth performance, blood haematology, gut morphometry, and meat quality traits of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4 Group A Member 1 (NR4A1) acts as a transcription factor to participate in lots of physiological activities including cell proliferation and cell differentiation. In this study, we found that NR4A1 promoted goat intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation through the PI3K/AKT pathway. This study provides important information about NR4A1 in the intramuscular preadipocyte differentiation in goats and therefore identifies a target for goat meat quality improvement studies. As a transcription factor, Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 4 Group A Member 1 (NR4A1) binds to downstream target genes to participate in cell proliferation and cell differentiation. We found that the NR4A1 reached the highest expression at 60 h after the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes. Overexpression of goat NR4A1 increased the number of intracellular lipid droplets and up-regulated the expression of adipocyte-differentiation-related marker genes including AP2, SREBP1, ACC, GPAM, and DGAT2, while the relative expression levels of Pref-1 and HSL were significantly decreased. On the contrary, after NR4A1 was knocked down by siRNA, the number of intracellular lipid droplets and the relative expression levels of LPL, CEBPα, CEBPβ, ACC, and DGAT2 were significantly decreased, and the relative expression levels of Pref-1 and HSL were significantly up-regulated. These results suggest that NR4A1 promotes the differentiation of goat intramuscular preadipocytes. Transcriptome sequencing was carried out after overexpression of goat NR4A1, and the KEGG enrichment analysis result showed that the most differentially expressed genes were related to adipocyte differentiation and were enriched in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. LY249002, an inhibitor of the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, was introduced and decreased the number of intracellular lipid droplets, and the relative expression levels of C/EBPα, SREBP1, AP2, C/EBPβ, GPAM, ACC, DGAT1, DGAT2, and ATGL were decreased accordingly. The above results indicate that overexpression of goat NR4A1 may promote the differentiation of intramuscular preadipocytes through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The Lueyang black-bone chicken is a vital poultry resource originating from China. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different rearing systems on the meat quality of Lueyang black-bone chickens via untargeted metabolomics. Compared with caged rearing, cage-free rearing significantly reduced chicken carcass yield and increased the shear force of leg muscles. In addition, the cage-free rearing mode promoted the accumulation of nutrients, such as phospholipids, unsaturated fatty acids, glutamate, and adenosin 3′-monophosphate. Moreover, the cage-free rearing system also enhanced the accumulation of volatile organic compounds, such as aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones, which greatly contribute to the meat flavor. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for cage-free rearing as a better rearing mode for Lueyang black-bone chickens. The Lueyang black-bone chicken is a specific native chicken strain in China. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different rearing systems on the meat quality of Lueyang black-bone chickens. Six hundred Lueyang black-bone hens were randomly divided into two groups at 7 weeks of age and raised in cage and cage-free systems for 20 weeks. The carcass yield, meat quality, and total metabolites were measured in both the leg and breast muscles. By comparison, the carcass yield of hens in the cage-free (CF) group (1.26 ± 0.09 kg) was significantly lower than that in the caged rearing (CR) group (1.52 ± 0.15 kg). However, the shear force of leg muscles in the CF group (27.98 ± 2.43 N) was significantly greater than that in the CR group (24.15 ± 1.93 N). In addition, six samples from each group were randomly selected and their metabolites were detected by the non-targeted metabolomics technique. Among these metabolites, 408 and 354 significantly differentially abundant metabolites were identified in breast and leg muscles, which were mainly involved in glycerophospholipid metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, arginine and proline metabolism, and nucleotide metabolism. We found that the levels of 19 phospholipids, mainly phosphatidylcholines and lysophosphatidylcholines, were significantly greater in the CF group than in the CR group. Additionally, the contents of eight unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid were dramatically greater in the CF group than in the caged group. The accumulation of 4-hydroxy-proline, glutamate, and adenosine 3′-monophosphate (AMP) was enhanced in the CF group. Moreover, many more volatile organic compounds were identified in the muscles of the cage-free group, enhancing the flavor of the chicken meat. In conclusion, the cage-free rearing mode facilitates the accumulation of nutrients and flavor substances in the chicken meat and is a better rearing system for Lueyang black-bone chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Positive and negative pressure ventilation systems are widely used in poultry farming to control the internal environment of poultry houses, especially in tropical regions, in which hot and humid climates can pose challenges to the thermal regulation of animals. Knowing that thermal stress impacts the quality of animal meat, this study aimed to evaluate the thermal performance and quality of poultry meat in these two types of shed. The main results found here were that the negative pressure system presents lower temperatures and air enthalpy, and the animals reared in this system have better quality meat. We recommend the negative ventilation system for broiler producers in tropical regions due to its ability to provide better thermal indicators and chicken meat quality. This study aimed to evaluate the thermal performance and meat quality in broilers reared in positive pressure tunnel ventilation (PP) and negative pressure tunnel ventilation (NP) in production houses. 320 Cobb broilers (40 broilers per house) were used. Pectoralis major muscles from 40 broilers (10 broilers per house) were randomly selected and analysed for L* (lightness), a* (redness), b* (yellowness), pH, drip loss (DL), cooking loss (CL) and shear force (SF). Air temperature and humidity of the transportation and slaughterhouse waiting room were recorded in the last week of rearing. Subsequently, the enthalpy comfort index (ECI) was calculated. Air temperature and ECI were higher (p < 0.05) in positive pressure sheds, whereas relative humidity was higher (p < 0.001) in negative pressure sheds. There was no statistically significant difference between the enthalpy comfort index during transport and lairage (p > 0.005). Meat quality defects (high L*, DL, CL, SF) were found in PP and NP. It was observed that b* was higher in PP, although pH and CL were higher in NP. Differences in pH, b* and CL indicate that broilers from PP had a higher level of heat stress. In conclusion, differences in pH, b*value and cooking loss in breast broilers indicate that birds in PP had a higher level of heat stress. Additional studies investigating pre-slaughter handling methods to minimise injuries and heat stress are recommended in order to improve animal welfare and meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential significance and importance of green iron nanoparticles (Nano-Fe) in poultry production lie in their capability to effectively tackle iron deficiency in poultry. Iron, an indispensable mineral for numerous physiological functions in birds, such as oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and immune response, underscores the critical need for adequate iron levels. Nevertheless, conventional iron supplementation methods frequently face hurdles like limited bioavailability rates in poultry. To enhance performance, and promote sustainable broiler productivity, Nano-Fe showed promise as an efficient feed supplement for broiler chickens. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of green Nano-Fe inclusions in diets on growth, ammonia excretion, carcass criteria, and meat quality in broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 192 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks, were assigned to three treatment diets including Nano-Fe oxide at 0, 20, or 40 mg/ kg, respectively, for 42 days. Each treatment comprised eight replicates, each with eight broiler chicks. Two phases comprised the 42-day study (0 to 21 days for the starter and 21 to 42 days for the finisher). Results: In comparison to the control group, the Nano-Fe oxide groups 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg linearly improved (p<0.05) body weight (R² = 0.574) and body weight gain (R² = 0.367) under hot climatic conditions at 42 days of age. Furthermore, Nano-Fe oxide to broiler diets, improved (linear, p<0.05) feed conversion ratio (R² = 0.424) throughout whole periods. The feed intake did not show any significant difference (p>0.05) among groups during the experimental periods under hot climatic conditions. The ammonia content of excreta (R² = 0.454) was linearly decreased (p<0.05) with increasing Nano-Fe oxide levels in broiler diets compared to control at 21 and 42 days of age under hot climatic conditions. Nano-Fe oxide positively influences cook loss, water- holding capacity, and iron content in various tissues. Moreover, it contributes to a healthier carcass yield and reduced abdominal fat. Conclusion: In conclusion, broiler chickens fed diets containing Nano-Fe oxide at 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg demonstrated enhanced growth performance, improved meat quality, increased iron content in tissues, higher dressing percentage, and reduced abdominal fat deposition. Future research should explore the impact of green Nano-Fe oxide on additional factors such as the microbiome and gene expression related to immunity and heat stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rising awareness of nutritional values has led to an increase in the popularity of meat-based diets. Hence, to ensure public health, industries and consumers are focusing more on the quality and freshness of this food. Authentic meat quality assessment methods can indeed be exorbitant and catastrophic. Furthermore, it is subjective and reliant on the knowledge of specialists. Fully automated computer-aided diagnosis systems are required to eradicate the variability among experts. However, evaluating the quality of meat automatically is challenging. Deep convolutional neural networks have shown a tremendous improvement in meat quality assessment. This research intends to utilize an ensemble framework of shallow convolutional neural networks for assessing the quality and freshness of the meat. Two compact CNN architectures (ConvNet-18 and ConvNet-24) are developed, and the efficacy of the models are evaluated using two publicly available databases. Experimental findings reveal that the ConvNet-18 outperforms other state-of-the models in classifying fresh and spoiled meat with an overall accuracy of 99.4%, whereas ConvNet-24 shows a better outcome in categorizing the meat based on its freshness. This model yields an accuracy of 96.6%, which is much better compared with standard models. Furthermore, the suggested models effectively detect the quality and freshness of the meat with less complexity than the existing state-of-the art techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat consumption is increasing globally. The safety and quality of meat are considered important issues for human health. During evaluations of meat quality and freshness, microbiological parameters are often analyzed. Counts of indicator cells can provide important references for meat quality. In order to eliminate the error of manual operation and improve detection efficiency, this paper proposed a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with a backbone called Detect-Cells-Rapidly-Net (DCRNet), which can identify and count stained cells automatically. The DCRNet replaces the single channel of residual blocks with the aggregated residual blocks to learn more features with fewer parameters. The DCRNet combines the deformable convolution network to fit flexible shapes of stained animal cells. The proposed CNN with DCRNet is self-adaptive to different resolutions of images. The experimental results indicate that the proposed CNN with DCRNet achieves an Average Precision of 81.2% and is better than traditional neural networks for this task. The difference between the results of the proposed method and manual counting is less than 0.5% of the total number of cells. The results indicate that DCRNet is a promising solution for cell detection and can be equipped in future meat quality monitoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary energy and protein levels on the meat quality and metabolomic profile of Yunshang black goats. For this, 80 Yunshang black goats (male, 6 months old, with a mean live body weight of 35.82 ± 2.79 kg) were used in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial dietary arrangement. The dietary treatments were (1) high energy (9.74 MJ/kg) with high protein (12.99%) (HEHP), (2) high energy (9.76 MJ/kg) with low protein (10.01%) (HELP), (3) low energy (8.18 MJ/kg) with high protein (13.04%) (LEHP), and (4) low energy (8.14 MJ/kg) with low protein (10.05%) (LELP). The experiment lasted 64 days, including 14 days for dietary adaptation and a 50-day feeding trial. At the end of the experiment, four animals from each treatment were slaughtered to assess their meat quality and metabolomic profiles. The pH value was greater for the goats fed the LELP diet compared with the other treatments. The LEHP-fed group's meat was brighter (L*) than that of the other three groups. The HEHP-fed group had considerably more tender meat (p < 0.05) compared with the LEHP-fed group. Moreover, 72 and 183 differentiated metabolites were detected in the longissimus muscle samples by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. The hydropathy and volatilities of raw meat were different (p < 0.05), suggesting changes in the meat flavor because of the dietary treatments. Based on the results, it can be concluded that feeding a high-energy- and high-protein-containing diet improved the tenderness, flavor, and fatty acid contents of mutton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traits such as meat quality and composition are becoming valuable in modern pork production; however, they are difficult to include in genetic evaluations because of the high phenotyping costs. Combining genomic information with multiple‐trait indirect selection with cheaper indicator traits is an alternative for continued cost‐effective genetic improvement. Additionally, gut microbiome information is becoming more affordable to measure using targeted rRNA sequencing, and its applications in animal breeding are becoming relevant. In this paper, we investigated the usefulness of microbial information as a correlated trait in selecting meat quality in swine. This study incorporated phenotypic data encompassing marbling, colour, tenderness, loin muscle and backfat depth, along with the characterization of gut (rectal) microbiota through 16S rRNA sequencing at three distinct time points of the animal's growth curve. Genetic progress estimation and cross‐validation were employed to evaluate the utility of utilizing host genomic and gut microbiota information for selecting expensive‐to‐record traits in crossbred individuals. Initial steps involved variance components estimation using multiple‐trait models on a training dataset, where the top 25 associated operational taxonomic units (OTU) for each meat quality trait and time point were included. The second step compared the predictive ability of multiple‐trait models incorporating different numbers of OTU with single‐trait models in a validation set. Results demonstrated the advantage of including genomic information for some traits, while in some instances, gut microbial information proved advantageous, namely, for marbling and pH. The study suggests further investigation into the shared genetic architecture between microbial features and traits, considering microbial data's compositional and high‐dimensional nature. This research proposes a straightforward method to enhance swine breeding programs for improving costly‐to‐record traits like meat quality by incorporating gut microbiome information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At present, heat stress (HS) has become a key factor that impairs broiler breeding industry, which causes growth restriction and poor meat quality of broilers. Selenium (Se) is an excellent antioxidant and plays a unique role in meat quality improvement. Recent years, nano-selenium (NanoSe) has received tremendous attention in livestock production, due to its characteristic and good antibacterial performance in vitro. Here, we developed the heat stressed-broiler model to investigate the protective effects of NanoSe on growth performance and meat quality of broilers and compare whether there are differences with that of other Se sources (Sodium selenite, SS; Selenoyeast, SeY; Selenomethionine, SeMet). Results: HS jeopardized the growth performance and caused poor meat quality of breast muscle in broilers, which were accompanied by lowered antioxidant capacity, increased glycolysis, increased anaerobic metabolism of pyruvate, mitochondrial stress and abnormal mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. All Se sources supplementation exhibited protective effects, which increased the Se concentration and promoted the expression of selenoproteins, improved the mitochondrial homeostasis and the antioxidant capacity, and promoted the TCA cycle and the aerobic metabolism of pyruvate, thus improved the breast muscle meat quality of broilers exposed to HS. However, unlike the other three Se sources, the protective effect of NanoSe on meat quality of heat stressed-broilers was not ideal, which exhibited limited impact on the pH value, drip loss and cooking loss of the breast muscle. Compared with the other Se sources, broilers received NanoSe showed the lowest levels of slow MyHC, the highest levels of fast MyHC and glycogen, the highest mRNA levels of glycolysis-related genes (PFKM and PKM), the highest protein expression of HSP60 and CLPP, and the lowest enzyme activities of GSH-Px, citroyl synthetase (CS) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (ICD) in breast muscle. Consistent with the SS, the Se deposition in breast muscle of broilers received NanoSe was lower than that of broilers received SeY or SeMet. Besides, the regulatory efficiency of NanoSe on the expression of key selenoproteins (such as SELENOS) in breast muscle of heat stressed-broilers was also worse than that of other Se sources. Conclusion: Through comparing the meat quality, Se deposition, muscle fiber type conversion, glycolysis, mitochondrial homeostasis, and mitochondrial TCA cycle-related indicators of breast muscle in heat stressed broilers, we found that the protective effects of organic Se (SeY and SeMet) are better than that of inorganic Se (SS) and NanoSe. As a new Se source, though NanoSe showed some protective effect on breast muscle meat quality of heat stressed broilers, the protective effect of NanoSe is not ideal, compared with other Se sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effect of slaughter weight (SW) on carcass characteristics and meat quality, we measured the carcass characteristics, meat quality, and amino acid metabolomics characteristics of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle from Tianfu finishing (TF) pigs. Based on SW, 13 pigs were divided into three groups (100-kg group, 125-kg group, and 150-kg group with 3, 5, 5 pigs in each group, respectively). Raising SW to 125 kg or 150 kg increased average backfat thickness (P < 0.01) and intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01), and decreased shear force (P < 0.01). A total of 231 amino acid metabolome from three amino acid classes identified with metabolomics were analyzed, and 93 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) were identified (69 up-regulated DEMs and 24 down-regulated DEMs). The DEMs, including urea, 3-iodo-L-tyrosine, N-glycyl-L-leucine, and N, N-dimethylglycine with amino acid metabolism, were significantly induced (P < 0.01). KEGG pathway analysis showed that these DEMs were significantly enriched (P<0.01) in 135metabolism pathways, including pathways related to amino acidmetabolism, such as arginine and proline metabolism, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and beta-alanine metabolism. Our research findings provided new insights into the impact of SW on amino acid distribution and theoretical support for genetic breeding of meat quality of TF pigs. However, raising SW to 125 kg, ormore, decreased the carcass leanness of live TF pigs and had no benefits to pork quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to analyze the carcasses of bovine from employer and non-employer livestock systems. Slaughter data was collected in slaughterhouse located in the central part of the State of Rio Grande do Sul during four years. A total of 437,332 and 49,029 carcasses from employers' and non-employers' properties were evaluated, respectively. The differentiation between the livestock models was made based on the existence or not of employees. Non-employer farmers declared themselves non-employers, while employers presented documentation and regularity of employees on the farms. Data were submitted to analysis of variance to assess the effect between the production systems and their interactions with sex, months, and years, with the batch being the experimental unit. The cold carcass weight in males and females differed between the production systems, being the employer system higher than the non-employer system. At maturity, carcasses from the employer system were lower than carcasses marketed by non-employer system. The thickness of subcutaneous fat was lower in carcasses from non-employer system than in carcasses employer systems, with less use of the same the quality programs. Except for January, cold carcass weight differed (P<0.05) during the rest of the year between production systems. The finishing grade only differ (P<0.05) in the months of February and December, being higher for the employer system. The employer system produces carcasses with better quality and greater quantity of kilograms than the non-employer system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms may lead to treatment failure and economic losses in the poultry industry and threaten public health. One of the main factors involved in the increasing emergence of antimicrobial resistance is the non-judicious use of antimicrobial agents as growth promoters in poultry and animal production. The search for natural alternatives to growth promoters to antimicrobial agents is continuous and crucial. This investigation focused on the probiotic strains extracted from the gastrointestinal tracts of poultry reared in various habitation types. The selected strain with antioxidant properties was Bacillus toyonensis (BT) M44, used as a probiotic dietary supplement and antibiotic alternative, then investigated its effects on growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, immune response, gut microbiota, and meat quality of IR broilers. Bacillus toyonensis M44 exhibited potent antibacterial activity against MDR microorganisms, as evidenced by MICs ranging from 5% to 10%. A total of 160 IR chicks were allocated into four groups randomly, each consisting of (10 x 4) chicks. The control group was administered a basal diet; the remaining three groups were provided the control diets containing BT at concentrations of 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6 mg/kg. The results indicated that BT-supplemented groups showed increased body weights, weight gain, growth rate, and performance index and reduced feed conversion ratio during the two growth periods compared to control. The best results were obtained with BT 1.6 mg/kg for the antecedent growth metrics. Chicks receiving BT (0.4 mg/kg) had improved renal functions and lower uric acid and creatinine levels than the other groups. Moreover, ALT and AST levels P<0.05 decreased with BT doses compared to the control. BT 1.6 mg/kg produced the best liver function results; the histopathological studies confirmed that BT addition didn't affect the liver and intestine structure. Adding Bacillus toyonensis M44 to the diet formulation improved (P<0.05) lipid profile, immune response, thyroid functions, and gut microflora compared to the control group. Additionally, BT enhanced the chicken meat's juiciness and tenderness characteristics and improved its moisture and protein content; the meat color was also enhanced. Generally, supplementing IR chicken with BT could improve growth performance and blood biochemistry, modulate the gut microflora structure, and enhance the meat quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the genetic origin of ducks and the use of phytogenic additives in their feeding on performance indices, slaughter value and dressing percentage, as well as meat quality. The experimental material consisted of three genetic groups of Pekin ducks: Polish Pekin P-33 (P), Dworka D-11 (D) and Star 53 H.Y. (S). A 7-week experimental rearing of 216 commercial hybrids (3 × 72 animals) was carried out. Within each genetic line, three feeding groups were established, differing in the use of plant-based additives in the feed mixture (5% herb mixture or 5% black cumin seed). To assess slaughter value and meat quality of the ducks, 18 birds from each group were selected, including 9 males and 9 females. It was shown that the basic performance and slaughter value traits of Pekin ducks depend (p≤0.05) on their genetic origin. The most favourable (p≤0.05) rearing efficiency and slaughter value (body, carcass and meat weight) were found for commercial Star 53 HY ducks. Their breast muscles were characterized by higher (p≤0.05) cooking loss and lower (p≤0.05) collagen content. The genetic origin of the ducks was shown to influence (p≤0.05) economic efficiency of rearing, dressing percentage and chemical indicators of meat (except for water content in breast muscles) and some physical characteristics (pH24, cooking loss, colour lightness of leg muscles and electrical conductivity in breast muscles). Supplementation of the standard diet of ducks with phytogenic additives (mixture of herbs, black cumin seeds) at a level of 5% had (p≤0.05) a negative effect on body, carcass and meat weight, and a positive effect on the physical characteristics of meat related to water loss (pH24 and cooking loss). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of herbs as supplements in fish feed has shown a stimulating effect on fish growth, utilization of feed, and an increase in digestibility and in fish immunity. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of the supplement yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea) added in fish feed on the growth indicators, blood parameters, meat quality and forage utilization of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.), cultivated in an aquaponic system. The experimental period lasted 60 days. At the end of the experiment, the following were calculated: average final weight, specific growth rates, feed utilization rate, meat quality and biochemical blood parameters. The trout fed on feed supplemented with yellow gentian, showed a higher final weight of 4.46%, compared to control group fish fed without it, but the differences between the groups were unreliable (P> 0.05). The quality parameters of the meat in the experimental group were not significantly affected by the addition of yellow gentian to the feed and were similar to the results obtained in the control group fish. The addition of yellow gentian to the diet of the rainbow trout affects the biochemical parameters of blood (creatinine, ASAT), the quality of meat (raw protein). Better values in the measurement of trout in the group fed with yellow gentian were reported with an average individual fish weight and a feed conversion factor of 34.91% and 23.03% respectively, compared to control fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research study was conducted in the sheep farm of the Agricultural Institute -- Stara Zagora. It included 45 Ile-de-France lambs divided into three groups with 15 animals each: one control and two experimental. The lambs from experimental group I were individually supplemented with 8 g Immunobeta prebiotic on a daily basis, whereas lambs from experimental group II received the same amount of prebiotic plus 4 g Zoovit probiotic. The following parameters were monitored -- live body weight at the beginning and the end of the experiment, daily weight gain and slaughter age in days. The experiment lasted until a live weight of 23-25 kg was attained. Then 5 male lambs from each group were slaughtered, samples from musculus Longissimus Lumborum were collected and meat chemical composition and technological properties were analyzed. It was demonstrated that the weight gain of lambs from experimental group I was by 21.74% (P ≤ 0.01) higher, and that of lambs from experimental group II: by 17.39% (P ≤ 0.01) higher compared to controls. Both supplemented groups attained slaughter live weight over a shorter period compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.001). The meat WHC was lower in the two experimental groups vs controls, indicating that the loss of moisture from m. LL meat in these groups was higher than that of controls. In summary, the study allowed concluding that the dietary supplementation of lambs with 8 g Immunobeta prebiotic and 4 g Zoovit probiotic + 8 g Immunobeta prebiotic had a beneficial effect on the growth performance of animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pine needles are rich in many nutrients and exhibit antibacterial and antioxidant biological activities; however, the effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on the growth performance and intestinal flora of broiler chickens are not known. Methods: Normal diets were supplemented with pine needle fermentation juice (PNF), pine needle soaking juice (PNS), or pine needle powder (PNP), and the associated effects on growth performance, relative organ weights, intestinal development, intestinal histological morphology, intestinal flora, meat quality, and serum indicators in broiler chickens were observed. Results: The results showed that PNF, PNS, and PNP all significantly improved feed utilisation and promoted the growth and development of broilers. All three additives also significantly improved the structure of the intestinal flora, specifically increasing the diversity of bacteria; increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, Rikenella, and Blautia; and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus. The antioxidant properties of pine needles were also found to intensify lipid metabolic reactions in the blood, thus leading to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. Meanwhile, high doses of PNF reduced jejunum and ileum weights and also increased meat yellowness. Lastly, none of PNF, PNS, or PNP had an effect on relative organ weights or intestinal histological morphology. Conclusion: The addition of pine needles to the diet of broiler chickens can effectively promote their growth performance as well as improve their intestinal flora and serum status without side effects; in particular, the dose of 0.2% of either PNF and PNS is expected to have the capacity to replace growth-promoting antibiotics as diet additives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the effects of feeding fermented cassava leaf meal (FCLM) on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat sensory evaluation of broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 160 Cobb-500 chickens were used during the phases of growing (21 days of age; initial weight 0.39±0.025 kg/bird) and finishing (35 days of age; initial weight 1.023±0.164 kg/bird). The whole experiment lasted for four weeks. The FCLM was included in starter and finishing diets at 0, 50, 100, and 150 g/kg inclusion levels. Total feed intake (TFI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio, and nutrient digestibility were recorded. Sensory evaluation of breast meat was used to determine the eating quality of the meat prepared using roasting and boiling methods. Results: The TFI and WG decreased (p<0.05) with increasing inclusion levels of FCLM in the diets of growing chickens. Crude protein digestibility for chickens fed 0 and 50 g/kg FCLM was higher (p<0.05) than for chickens subjected to a diet with 150 g/kg FCLM. During the finishing phase, TFI increased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing inclusion level of FCLM in chicken diets, while WG decreased (p<0.05) with inclusion level of FCLM. Treatment diets had no effect (p>0.05) on the eating qualities of breast meat. However, juiciness was significant (p<0.05) for the cooking method and treatment interaction. At 50 g/kg inclusion level, boiled meat had a higher (p<0.05) juiciness score than roasted meat. Tenderness, on the other hand, was significant (p<0.05) for the interaction of gender and treatment. Females considered the boiled meat to be more tender than the males at 150 g/kg inclusion level. Using principal component analysis, a positive correlation was observed between teeth adhesion and fibrousness, flavour and juiciness, and springiness and tenderness. Conclusion: From the study, it can be concluded that FCLM can be used as an ingredient in the diets of broiler chickens. Inclusion level of 50 g/kg can be used in chicken diets during the growing phase, whereas in the finishing phase, inclusion level of 150 g/kg FCLM can be used. The FCLM did not affect the eating quality of breast meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Muscle fibre characteristics are important internal factors that can directly affect pork quality. Especially muscle-fibre types can interconvert with the influence of certain factors. Aims: The purpose of this experiment was to study the differences in meat quality among Songliao black pigs, Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs, and the molecular mechanism of the differences. Methods: First, the conventional meat-quality traits of each breed were determined. Second, the muscle-fibre characteristics of different muscles were analysed by the haematoxylin–eosin staining and immunohistochemistry. Next, the activity of several key oxidative/glycolytic enzymes was detected with kits. Finally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction was used to analyse the expression abundance of myosin heavy-chain (MyHC) genes and key genes related to muscle fibre-type transformation. Key results: The results of meat-quality measurement showed that Songliao black pigs were superior to Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs in water-holding capacity, tenderness and intra-muscular fat; and Jilin Hua pigs were superior to Dongliao black pigs in water-holding capacity. The diameter and area of muscle fibres were the smallest, the density was the largest, the proportion of oxidative muscle fibres, oxidative enzyme activity and expression abundance of oxidative genes were the highest in Songliao black pigs, followed by Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs. The proportions of oxidative muscle fibres ranged from 10.37% to 33.6% in Songliao black pigs, from 6.96% to 26.42% in Jilin Hua pigs, and from 5.86% to 17.42% in Dongliao black pigs. The psoas major exhibited the smallest muscle-fibre diameter, the highest density, followed by triceps brachii , biceps femoris and longissimus thoracis. The oxidative muscle fibre proportions of the psoas major and triceps brachii were significantly greater than those of the biceps femoris and longissimus thoracis. The expression abundances of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), silencing information regulator 1 (SIRT1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) (Sirt1/AMPK/PGC-1α) pathway and mitochondrial function-related genes were the highest in Songliao black pigs, followed by Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs. Conclusions: The results showed that Songliao black pigs had the best meat quality, followed by Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs. The meat quality of psoas major and triceps brachii was significantly greater than that of biceps femoris and longissimus thoracis. This experiment suggests that transformation of oxidative muscle fibres can be promoted through the Sirt1/AMPK/PGC-1α pathway. Implications: By analysing the meat-quality traits and the molecular mechanism of meat-quality differences, it can provide data reference and direction for further meat-quality improvement of three breed pigs. We systematically studied the differences in meat quality among Songliao black pigs, Jilin Hua pigs and Dongliao black pigs, from the perspective of meat quality, muscle-fibre characteristics and Sirt1/AMPK/PGC-1α signalling pathways. In addition, muscle-fibre characteristics of different parts (longissimus dorsi , psoas major , triceps brachii and biceps femur) of each breed were comprehensively studied instead of a single tissue. The results of oxidised muscle fibres were verified by immunohistochemistry, enzyme-activity assay and gene-expression methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment aimed to study the effects of different rearing months on the culinary quality, nutritional quality, and flavor of Black Tibetan sheep meat. Fifteen healthy Black Tibetan lambs with similar body weights were randomly divided into three groups, with five replicates per group and one lamb per replicate. The three groups of Black Tibetan sheep were fed a diet mainly consisting of corn, oat hay, and oat silage under the same rearing conditions and raised to 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months of age, respectively. The results showed that compared to the meat of 12-month-old and 24-month-old Tibetan black sheep, the meat from 6-month-old lambs had the lowest shear force and water loss (P<0.05), the highest moisture content (P<0.05), and the lowest fat content (P<0.05). Compared to the meat of 24-month-old sheep, the cooking loss of meat from 6-month-old lambs was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and the cooked meat yield significantly increased for both 6-month-old and 12-month-old lambs (P<0.05). Compared to the meat of 24-month-old sheep, the shear force of meat from 12-month-old lambs was significantly reduced (P<0.05), and both the cooked meat yield and moisture content significantly increased (P<0.05). A total of 37 volatile flavor compounds were detected in the meat of the three groups of Tibetan black sheep using GC-IMS technology, including alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, terpenes, and esters. The meat from 6-month-old lambs had the highest content of alcohols, terpenes, and esters, while the meat from 12-month-old and 24-month-old lambs had the highest content of ketones and aldehydes, respectively. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) and relative odor activity values (ROAV) identified 2, 3-butanediol, heptanal, hexanal, ethyl acetate, nonanal, and 3-(methylthio) propanal as the main characteristic flavor compounds in the meat of Tibetan black sheep of different ages. The study indicates that the meat from 6-month-old Tibetan black lambs has the best culinary quality, with a richer content and variety of volatile flavor compounds, among which 2, 3-butanediol, 3-(methylthio) propanal, limonene, γ-terpinene, ethyl acetate, and butyrolactone are the key flavor compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Caragana silage on the growth performance, rumen fermentation parameters, and meat quality of beef cattle, and to determine the optimal addition ratio of Caragana silage in beef cattle breeding. A total of 48 Simmental beef cattle with similar body weight and good body condition were divided into four treatments with 12 replicates per treatment and one beef cattle per replicate according to the single factor experimental design. Simmental beef cattle in the control group were fed whole corn silage, and beef cattle in the experimental groups were fed experimental diets in which 20%, 40%, and 80% of whole corn silage were replaced by Caragana silage. The pre-feeding period was seven days and the formal test period was 90 days. The results showed that compared with the control group, Simmental beef cattle fed 40% Caragana silage could significantly increase average daily gain by 22.11% (P<0.05). The ratio of feed to gain was significantly decreased by 13.21% (P<0.05). Compared with control group, Simmental beef cattle fed 20% and 40% Caragana silage could reduce rumen NH3-N concentration (P<0.05). Feeding 40% Caragana silage increased rumen protein and propionic acid concentration (P<0.05), and decreased the ratio of ethylene to propylene (P<0.05). Compared with control group, feeding 40% Caragana silage could significantly increase the pH value of the muscle in Simmental beef cattle (P<0.05), and significantly reduce the shear force (P<0.05). Feeding 20% and 40% Caragana silage could significantly reduce the water loss rate (P<0.05). Caragana silage had no significant effect on intramuscular nutrient content of beef cattle (P>0.05). The study indicates that feeding proper proportion of Caragana silage can improve the growth performance and rumen fermentation function of Simmental beef cattle, and improve meat quality, and it is more suitable for Caragana silage to replace 40% whole corn silage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to study the effects of different protein levels in the diet on the growth performance and meat quality of penned small tailed Han sheep lambs. A total of 75 male lambs of the small tailed Han sheep, approximately 90 days old, were randomly divided into three experimental groups: Group Ⅰ (low protein group, 12.16%), Group Ⅱ (medium protein group, 14.04%), and Group Ⅲ (high protein group, 15.70%), with five replicates per group and five male lambs per replicate. The preliminary trial lasted for 10 days, and the formal experiment lasted for 90 days. The results showed that the average weight gain and average daily weight gain of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ were extremely higher than those of Group Ⅰ (P<0.01), and the feed to gain ratio was significantly lower than that of Group Ⅰ (P<0.05). The carcass weight and backfat thickness of Group Ⅰ were significantly lower than those of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ (P<0.05), while the cooking loss, drip loss, brightness value, and yellowness value were significantly higher than those of Group Ⅱ and Group Ⅲ (P<0.05). The average daily income of the lambs in Group Ⅱ was 2.47 yuan/d, which was 0.74 yuan/d higher than that of Group Ⅰ and 0.39 yuan/d higher than that of Group Ⅲ. The study indicates that when the metabolizable energy level is between 11.52 and 11.57 MJ/kg, increasing the dietary protein level can improve the growth performance of barn feeding small tailed Han sheep and has a positive effect on the meat quality, with the highest economic benefit achieved at a crude protein level of 14.04%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed at identifying genomic regions that affect nine pork quality traits in purebred and crossbred fatteners. A total of 259 fatteners represented by six purebreds/crosses were genotyped for 45556 SNP markers by Illumina Porcine SNP60 BeadChip. The following traits were recorded: glycogen potential (GP), glycogen content (GC), lactate content (LC), pH35, pH24, pH48, drip loss after 48 hours (DL48), colour lightness (L*) and lean meat content (LMC). Multi-Locus Mixed Model methodology was applied to find associations between SNP markers and recorded traits. Several SNPs were found to be significantly associated with some pork quality traits: four SNPs (located on SSC7, SSC10 and SSC14) with GP, three SNPs (SSC10, SSC14) with GC, one SNP (SSC15) with DL48 and one SNP with pH48. Genetic variation explained by significant SNPs ranged from 7.6% to 9.1%. Moreover, some genes (e.g. CAPN10, ALDH5A1, PASK, SNITA1 and MYH7B) located in the close vicinity to significant markers are proposed to be candidate genes explaining the genetic background of the traits studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Weaned rabbits become extremely vulnerable to enteric infections as a result of the ban of using antibiotics as growth promoters. Recently, there is a growing interest in natural alternatives of antibiotics that could be used in rabbit production. Nutraceuticals are dietary components that offer additional health benefits beyond their nutritive benefits. Nutraceuticals include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, fatty acids, medicinal plants, etc. Due to their potential impacts on maintaining the normal physiological status, strengthening the immune system, and preventing illness, which ultimately led to an increase in productivity, nutraceuticals have recently attracted a lot of attention in rabbit farms. The objective of the present review is to provide information on recent findings about the advantages of dietary supplementation of nutraceuticals on performance, digestibility, meat quality, antioxidative properties, and immunological response in rabbits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grape seed oil (GSO) is a rich source of unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants, and phenolic compounds that have been shown to affect physiological disorders associated with chronic diseases positively. The article demonstrates GSO's chemical structure and health benefits, including its ability to alleviate oxidative stress, modulate cytokines, exhibit antimicrobial activity, and potentially prevent cancer. The review highlights the positive impact of GSO on livestock growth and products quality, particularly when combined with grape pomace in broiler and rabbits diets. Including grape seed extract in animals' diets improved carcass traits under oxidative stress conditions. It may also help reduce total lipid levels and lower LDL cholesterol levels, benefiting heart health. The article emphasizes the need for more studies to better understanding of the optimal bioactivity of GSO and to determine the recommended doses of GSO for human consumption. The review suggests that GSO could be a promising natural feed additive for improving poultry health and product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the quality and safety of meat from slaughter animals is a matter of global concern. Among the factors that must be taken care of are the activities that generate stress to the animal during antemortem handling (transport, rest, and stunning), postmortem carcass handling (aging and storage), and hygiene practices in facilities and staff. This work aimed to characterize sheep slaughter units within the municipality of Capulhuac de Mirafuentes, State of Mexico, based on current Mexican regulations. For this, a principal component (PC) analysis was carried out, highlighting that those that represented the highest variability in the slaughter centers were the price of the carcasses and their products, place of marketing, slaughter volume, sex of the animal, and safety of the carcasses, which represented 50.4 % of the explained variance. A cluster analysis was also carried out, which represented the integration of four groups of slaughter descriptors (P<0.05). As a result, it was found that 65 % of animals are slaughtered in commercial premises and houses that do not comply with the technification described in the regulations; they also present deficient antemortem and postmortem handling of animals; it was also observed that 98.3 % of the establishments use a slaughter method called "descabellado" (pithing), not reported in NOM-033-SAG/ZOO/2014, coupled with the lack of knowledge of the staff on animal welfare issues. This affects the quality and safety of meat and puts consumers' health at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of sex on final live weight, carcass characteristics meat quality traits and sensory properties of a specific cross breed pig line (Landrace 75% x Yorkshire 25% "Degesa"). Eight randomly selected barrows (CM) and eight gilts (F) were used in the present study. No differences (P=0.05) between sexes for carcass characteristics, shear-force value or sarcomere length were observed. However, back fat thickness, pH@45, pH@24, water-holding capacity, marbling score and intramuscular fat content were higher (P=0.05) in CM than in F. Meat from CM had lower (P=0.04) lightness than F but similar (P=0.34) redness and yellowness. Total saturated fatty acids (SFA) proportion as well as individual SFAs (C16:0 and C18:0) were greater in CM than in F, but n-6:n-3 ratio was lower in males than females. In general, meat from males were better scored than meat from females by the trained panel in flavor attributes but the result was opposed when textural properties were evaluated. In addition, greater overall color score as well as flavor attributes were positively associated with intramuscular fat content and rate of monounsaturated FA but negatively associated with rate polyunsaturated FA proportion. In conclusion, results suggest that pork quality from Degesa crossbred pigs showed marked sexrelated differences and therefore, it could be deferentially commercially by sex in the meat market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Carcass weight (HCW) and marbling (MARB) are critical for meat quality and market value in beef cattle. In composite breeds like Brangus, which meld the genetics of Angus and Brahman, SNP-based analyses have illuminated some genetic influences on these traits, but they fall short in fully capturing the nuanced effects of breed of origin alleles (BOA) on these traits. Focus on the impacts of BOA on phenotypic features within Brangus populations can result in a more profound understanding of the specific influences of Angus and Brahman genetics. Moreover, the consideration of BOA becomes particularly significant when evaluating dominance effects contributing to heterosis in crossbred populations. BOA provides a more comprehensive measure of heterosis due to its ability to differentiate the distinct genetic contributions originating from each parent breed. This detailed understanding of genetic effects is essential for making informed breeding decisions to optimize the benefits of heterosis in composite breeds like Brangus. Objective: This study aims to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing HCW and MARB by utilizing SNP and BOA information, incorporating additive, dominance, and overdominance effects within a multi-generational Brangus commercial herd. Methods: We analyzed phenotypic data from 1,066 genotyped Brangus steers. BOA inference was performed using LAMP-LD software using Angus and Brahman reference sets. SNP-based and BOA-based GWAS were then conducted considering additive, dominance, and overdominance models. Results: The study identified numerous QTLs for HCW and MARB. A notable QTL for HCW was associated to the SGCB gene, pivotal for muscle growth, and was identified solely in the BOA GWAS. Several BOA GWAS QTLs exhibited a dominance effect underscoring their importance in estimating heterosis. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate that SNP-based methods may not detect all genetic variation affecting economically important traits in composite breeds. BOA inclusion in genomic evaluations is crucial for identifying genetic regions contributing to trait variation and for understanding the dominance value underpinning heterosis. By considering BOA, we gain a deeper understanding of genetic interactions and heterosis, which is integral to advancing breeding programs. The incorporation of BOA is recommended for comprehensive genomic evaluations to optimize trait improvements in crossbred cattle populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dried cafeteria leftover food (DCLF) incorporation in growing APRI rabbit diets on nutrient digestibility, live body weight, body weight gain, carcass traits, meat quality, blood parameters, and economic efficiency. Thirty‐six APRI rabbits (6 weeks of age), after weaning, were randomly divided into three groups (12 rabbits/group, 613 ± 5 g). During the experiment, rabbits aged 6–14 weeks participated in the experiment. An approximate isocaloric and isonitrogenous composition was achieved in three pelleted experimental diets. For the rabbit groups D1 (as the control), D2, and D3, DCLF was added at doses of 0%, 17.5%, and 35%, respectively. Digestibility trails were carried out at the end of the feeding experiment to evaluate the nutritional and feeding values of the experimental diets. To examine the characteristics of the carcasses, the quality of the meat, the histopathological analysis, and the blood plasma parameters, three rabbits were slaughtered from each group. The results showed that the feeding values (TDN and DE), which had the greatest values, as well as the digesting coefficients for dry matter, organic matter, crude fiber, and ether extract between the D1 and D3 groups were significantly different (p < 0.05). On the contrary, the curde protein, nitrogen‐free extract, and digestible crude protein of the examined diets showed no signifcant differences compared with the control diet. The level of DCLF incorporation in diets significantly (p < 0.05) increased the live body weight at 14 weeks; with D3 recording the highest values (2130.9 g) when compared to the D1 and D2 groups. A similar pattern was observed for both daily increase and total body gain (6–14 weeks). Feed conversion recorded insignificant differences among the experimental diets respecting the period 6–14 weeks of age. DCLF levels had a significant effect on dressing and giblet percentages. The chemical composition and color parameters of rabbit meat were similar (p > 0.05), except for fat%, which had the highest value in the D3 group (p < 0.05) compared to the D1 and D2 groups. Economic efficiency was improved by using DLCF up to 35% in terms of gross margin and feed cost/kg gain. In conclusion, using DCLF in the feeding system of rabbits could enhance productive performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and physiological function, as well as improve economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One hundred and twenty New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) (5‐week‐old; 735.27 ± 27.23 g) were kept in an open‐sided house during the summer season. The experiment aims to evaluate the impacts of dried tomato pomace powder (DTPP) supplementation on rabbits' performance, blood metabolites, carcass traits, meat quality, and lipid and health indices of NZW rabbits during 5–13 weeks of age. The four treatments were a standard rabbit feed (control) and the control diet supplemented with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% DTPP, respectively. Rabbits fed a diet containing 1.5% DTPP showed the highest growth rate through weeks 9–13 of age despite having the lowest feed intake spanning 5–13 weeks. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in rabbits fed with 1.5% DTPP‐supplemented diet for 5–13 weeks. Diets supplemented with 0.5 or 1.0% DTPP enhanced markedly dressing %, total edible flesh, saturated (SFAs), monounsaturated (MUFAs), and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) contents, as well as the ∑n − 6/∑n − 3 ratio and the total n − 6 of meat. Dietary supplementation with DTPP decreased kidney, abdominal, and back fat. Diets supplemented with DTTP decreased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and very low‐density lipoprotein (vLDL) concentrations. The greatest levels of linoleic acid, arachidonic and water‐holding capacity in meat were observed in rabbits fed 1.5% DTPP‐supplemented diets. Diets containing 1 and 1.5% DTPP improved meats' atherogenic and thrombogenic indices, meat lipid quality desired fatty acids/undesired fatty acids ratio, and meat health index. Conclusively, DTPP up to 1.5% maintained the growth performance of rabbits, boosted meat quality through increasing vitamin E, reduced fat deposition, modified fatty acid composition, and improved atherogenic, thrombogenic, and hypocholesterolemic indices of rabbit meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a new class of endogenous RNA regulating gene expression. However, the regulatory mechanisms of lipid metabolism in yaks involved in circRNAs remain poorly understood. The IMF plays a crucial role in the quality of yak meat, to greatly improve the meat quality. In this study, the fatty acid profiles of yak IMF were determined and circRNAs were sequenced. The results showed that the total of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of adult yak muscle was significantly higher than that in yak calves (p < 0.05). A total of 29,021 circRNAs were identified in IMF tissue, notably, 99 differentially expressed (DE) circRNAs were identified, to be associated with fat deposition, the most significant of which were circ_12686, circ_6918, circ_3582, ci_106 and ci_123 (A circRNA composed of exons is labelled 'circRNA' and a circRNA composed of introns is labelled 'ciRNA'). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the differential circRNAs were enriched in four pathways associated with fat deposition (e.g., the peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor signalling, fatty acid degradation, sphingolipid metabolism and sphingolipid signalling pathways). We also constructed co‐expression networks of DE circRNA‐miRNA using high‐throughput sequencing in IMF deposition, from which revealed that ci_106 target binding of bta‐miR‐130b, bta‐miR‐148a, bta‐miR‐15a, bta‐miR‐34a, bta‐miR‐130a, bta‐miR‐17‐5p and ci_123 target binding of bta‐miR‐150 were involved in adipogenesis. The study revealed the role of the circRNAs in the IMF deposition in yak and its influence on meat quality the findings demonstrated the circRNA differences in the development of IMF with the increase of age, thus providing a theoretical basis for further research on the molecular mechanism of IMF deposition in yaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of fermented tofu processing wastewater (FTPW) on the growth performance and meat quality of Xianghuang broilers. A total of 160 six‐week‐old Xianghuang broilers were randomly assigned to control or FTPW groups with eight replicate pens of 10 birds each pen. Broilers received the same corn‐soybean diet but different water. Broilers received ordinary water in the control group and 40% (volume: volume) FTPW (the solution has been filtered with four layers of sieve, containing Bacillus 1.52 × 10−7 CFU/mL) in FTPW group. The experiment lasted for 30 days. Results indicated that growth performance was not affected by treatment (p > 0.05). The value of pH45 min and a48 h increased and drip loss72 h and toughness decreased in breast muscle when broilers received FTPW solution compared with the control group (p < 0.05). The pH45 min, a45 min, a48 h value and crude fat concentration of thigh muscle were higher in FTPW group than that in control group (p < 0.05). Compared with control group, fibre area decreased but fibre density increased in thigh muscle when Xianghuang chickens supplemented with FTPW solution (p < 0.05). Supplementation of FTPW solution in drinking water significantly decreased malondialdehyde content in the breast muscle of Xianghuang chickens (p < 0.05). Gene expressions such as carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1A (CPT1) and glycogen synthase of breast muscle were downregulated in experimental group when compared with control group. In conclusion, FTPW supplementation in drinking water could improve meat quality of Xianghuang broilers by regulating pH value, redness and fibre morphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of guanidine acetic acid (GAA) and α -lipoic acid (LA) supplementation in diets on growth performance, blood parameters and meat quality. A total of 24 healthy male sheep with similar body weight and good constitution were randomly divided into four groups: control group (fed a basal diet), guanidine acetic acid group (fed a basal diet supplemented with 1 500 mg/kg guani‐dine acetic acid) and α-lipoic acid group (fed a basal diet supplemented with 1 500 mg/kg guanidine acetic acid). 600 mg/kg α-lipoic acid was added to the basic diet and mixed group (1 500 mg/kg guanidi‐ noacetic acid and 600 mg/kg α -lipoic acid were added to the basic diet), the experiment lasted for 60 days, and the growth performance, blood indexes, slaughter performance indexes and meat quality in‐ dexes were determined. The results showed as follows: the average daily feed intake of α -lipoic acid group and mixed group was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05); the contents of glutamicoxalacetic transaminase and urea in blood of guanidine acetic acid group were significantly higher than those of control group (P<0.05). The content of interleukin-6 in control group was significantly higher than that in other three groups (P<0.05). The content of malondialdehyde in guanidine acetic acid group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05). The liver index of mixed group was higher than that of control group, guanidino acetic acid group and α-lipoic acid group (P<0.05). In terms of meat quality, the shear force of control group was significantly higher than that of guanidino acetic acid group, α-lipoic acid group and mixed group (P<0.05). The muscle protein content of control group was significantly lower than that of guanidino acetic acid group, α -lipoic acid group and mixed group (P< 0.05), and the muscle fat content of control group was significantly higher than that of α -lipoic acid group and mixed group (P<0.05). The muscle nitrogen content of α-lipoic acid group and mixed group was significantly higher than that of control group (P<0.05); the levels of capric acid (C10∶0), myristylic acid (C14∶1), pentadecanoic acid (C15∶1), palmitoleic acid (C16∶1) and heptadecenoic acid (C17∶ 1) in guanidino acetic acid group were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.05). In sum‐ mary, α-lipoic acid increased the feed intake of sheep, reduced the shear force of sheep muscle, im‐ proved muscle tenderness, and guanidine acetic acid increased the content of fatty acids in muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]