Carcase traits, meat quality, and lipogenic gene expression in muscle of lambs fed wheat bran feruloyl oligosaccharides

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of dietary feruloyl oligosaccharides derived from fermented wheat bran (FOs-FWB) supplementation on carcase traits, meat quality, muscle fatty acid composition, and the expression of lipogenic genes in lambs. In a completely randomised design, 50 Dorper × thin-tailed Han lambs (20.21 ± 3.36 kg) were randomly divided into five treatments with ten replications. The lambs in the control group were fed a basal diet, while those in the experimental groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg FOs-FWB. The shear forces of longissimus dorsi (LD) in lambs fed 50 and 100 mg/kg FOs-FWB were significantly lower than that of the control group (p < .05). Lambs fed with 200 mg/kg FOs-FWB had higher crude protein and lower fat contents in LD muscle (p < .05), the ash content in LD muscle was increased by FOs-FWB supplementation (p < .05). Lambs fed 50 mg/kg FOs-FWB had significantly higher proportions of C18:1n − 9, C20:1, C18:3n − 3, C18:3n − 6 and total n − 3 (p < .05). The proportion of C18:3n − 6 was significantly increased by 100 mg/kg FOs-FWB supplementation (p < .05). Feeding 200 mg/kg FOs-FWB significantly decreased proportions of C14:0 and total saturated fatty acid (SFA), but increased proportions of C18:1n − 9, C18:2n − 6, total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) to SFA ratio (p < .05). Moreover, increases in the proportion of C22:6n − 3 and total polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) were observed in lambs fed FOs-FWB (p < .05). The relative expression levels of ACC, FAS, and SCD genes in the LD muscle of lambs fed 200 and 400 mg/kg FOs-FWB were higher than the control group (p < .05). Dietary supplementation with 100, 200, 400 mg/kg FOs-FWB significantly increased the relative mRNA expression level of LPL (p < .05). Furthermore, a decrease in the relative mRNA expression level of PPARγ was observed in lambs fed 50 mg/kg FOs-FWB (p < .05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with FOs-FWB reduced shear force, enhanced intramuscular fat content and PUFAs proportion and stimulated lipogenic gene expression in LD muscle of lambs, especially at a level of 200 mg/kg addition. Highlights Dietary FOs-FWB improved the tenderness of the meat. Dietary supplementation with 200 mg/kg FOs-FWB increased the content of intramuscular fat and PUFAs, as well as the ratio of UFA to SFA. Dietary FOs-FWB affected the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism.