Fermented liquid feeding (FLF) has been proposed as a nutritional intervention with the potential to influence pork quality, yet its effects on intramuscular fat deposition and muscle lipid composition remain unclear. In this study, pigs were fed a basal dry feed, liquid feed, or FLF regimen for 173 days, and porcine muscle samples were subsequently evaluated for carcass traits, meat quality, lipid composition, and molecular changes associated with lipid deposition. Compared with CON, FLF reduced average backfat thickness, while intramuscular fat and triglyceride contents in the longissimus thoracis muscle were greater than those in CON and LF (p < 0.05). Fatty-acid profiling showed that FLF increased several major fatty acids, including palmitic acid. Metabolomic analysis identified contrast-specific changes in phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylethanolamine species. Proteomic analysis, together with Western blotting and RT-qPCR, showed higher abundances of PPARγ, FASN, and downstream lipogenic transcripts in the FLF group. These findings demonstrate that FLF modulates lipid deposition and lipid composition in porcine muscle and provide mechanistic insight into the nutritional regulation of pork quality formation.
L. Wang, Hefeng Luo, Zhongyang Guo et al.· Foods· 0 citations
Soybean meal protein, a byproduct of soybean processing, has limited functional properties such as emulsifying performance, which restricts its application in foods. Given that high-temperature extrusion tends to cause excessive denaturation and irreversible aggregation, this study aimed to investigate the effects of relatively low extrusion temperatures (85–105 °C) on the structural and functional properties of soybean meal protein. The results showed that extrusion altered the molecular structure and functional characteristics of the protein. With increasing extrusion temperature, the β-sheet content increased while the α-helix content decreased in the secondary structure, and tertiary structural rearrangements occurred, with hydrophobic groups being exposed and subsequently buried. At 95 °C, the protein formed a relatively porous and loose microstructure and exhibited the strongest surface hydrophobicity, water-holding capacity, oil-holding capacity, and emulsifying properties; at 100 °C and above, excessive aggregation occurred, pore structure collapsed, and functional properties declined. Meanwhile, extrusion generally reduced protein solubility. Therefore, 95 °C is identified as the optimal extrusion temperature under the conditions of this study. In addition, this study reveals the correlation between structural reconstruction and functional changes of soybean meal protein, providing a theoretical basis for its high-value utilization and application in the food industry.
Rong Ma, Xi-Qin Pan, Yu-Han Zhuang et al.· Foods· 0 citations