Abstract
Background: In ruminants, due to the hydrogenation of the rumen, muscles contain a large amount of saturated fatty acids (SFA), which have a negative effect on meat quality. Linseed as a common oil crop which is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), it affected the deposition of PUFA. Unfortunately, PUFA can exert a negative influence on the oxidative stability of meat. Fortunately, linseed is not only rich in PUFA, but also rich in phenols, which are a good source of antioxidants. Therefore, linseed may be can serve as an effective feed additive to improve meat quality of sheep. The aim of this investigation was to establish the effects of dietary linseed supplementation on carcass traits, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics and antioxidative capacity of sheep. Results: Results of this study indicated that linseed supplementation significantly increased the loin-eye area, crude protein and ash. Reduced pH24h, L* and shear force. Moreover, linseed supplementation affected the relative content and enriched the kinds of volatile flavor substances. Increased mRNA expression of MyHC I and MyHC IIx, and a decrease in cross-sectional area (CSA) and muscle fiber diameter was also observed. Additional changes included enhanced activity of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), decreased activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), increased total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC) activity. The mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and catalase (CAT) were increased while malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased. Conclusions: The results suggest that linseed is an effective feed additive in improving meat quality. The underlying mechanism(s) for its effectiveness may be partly due to a change in muscle fiber characteristics and antioxidative capacity.
Dietary Linseed Supplementation Improves Meat Quality of Sheep by Altering Muscle Fiber Characteristics and Antioxidative Capacity
