Metabolomic analysis reveals biogenic selenium nanoparticles improve the meat quality of thigh muscle in heat-stressed broilers is related to the regulation of ferroptosis pathway

Abstract

Heat stress ( HS) causes oxidative damage and abnormal metabolism of muscle, thus impairing the meat quality in broilers. Selenium is an indispensable element for enhancing antioxidant systems. In our previous study, we synthesized a novel type of biogenic selenium nanoparticles synthesized with alginate oligosaccharides ( SeNPs-AOS), and found that the particle size of Se is 80 nm and the Se content is 8% in the SeNPs-AOS; and dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS has been shown to be effective against HS in broilers. However, whether SeNPs-AOS can mitigate HS-induced the impairment of thigh muscle quality in broilers is still unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the protective effects of dietary SeNPs-AOS on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and metabolomics of thigh muscle in broilers under HS. A total of 192 twenty-one-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates per group (8 broilers per replicate) according to a 2 × 2 experimental design: thermoneutral group (TN, broilers raised under 23±1.5°C); TN+SeNPs-AOS group (TN group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS); HS group (broilers raised under 33 ± 2°C for 10 h/d); and HS + SeNPs-AOS group (HS group supplemented 5 mg/kg SeNPS-AOS). The results showed that HS increased the freezing loss, cooking loss, and malondialdehyde ( MDA) content of thigh muscle, whereas decreased the total superoxide dismutase ( T-SOD), glutathione peroxidase ( GSH-Px), and catalase ( CAT) activities, as well as downregulated the mRNA expression of SOD2, CAT, GPX3, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 ( Nrf2 ), selenoprotein S ( SELENOS ), solute carrier family 7 member 11 ( SLC7A11 ), GPX4, and ferroportin 1 ( Fpn1 ) of thigh muscle ( P < 0.05). Dietary SeNPS-AOS reduced the b* value, elevated the pH _0min value and the activities of T-SOD, GSH-Px, glutathione S-transferase ( GST) and the mRNA expression levels of GSTT1, GSTA3, GPX1, GPX3, ferritin heavy polypeptide-1 ( FTH1 ), and Fpn1 of thigh muscle in broilers under HS ( P < 0.05). Nontargeted metabolomics analysis identified a total of 79 metabolites with significant differences among the four groups, and the differential metabolites were mainly enriched in 8 metabolic pathways including glutathione metabolism and ferroptosis ( P < 0.05). In summary, dietary 5 mg/kg SeNPs-AOS (Se content of 8%) could alleviate HS-induced impairment of meat quality by improving the oxidative damage, metabolic disorders and ferroptosis of thigh muscle in broilers challenged with HS. Suggesting that the SeNPs-AOS may be used as a novel nano-modifier for meat quality in broilers raised in thermal environment.

Graphical Abstract