Dietary perennial ryegrass improves meat quality: insights into the gut-muscle axis in geese

Authors

• Zeshan Zulfiqar, Henan Agriculture University
• Muhammad Arslan Asif, Henan Agriculture University
• Khawla Alharbi, University of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow
• Han Yao, Henan Agriculture University
• Xiaoyan Zhu, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou
• Zhichang Wang, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou
• Hao Sun, Henan Agriculture University
• Yalei Cui, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou
• Boshuai Liu, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou
• Shucheng Huang, Henan Agriculture University
• Yinghua Shi, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-1-2025

Keywords

Fatty-Acid-Composition, Oxidative Stability, Lipid-Metabolism, gene-expression, carcass traits

Abstract

The gut-muscle axis represents a key regulatory pathway linking intestinal microbiota to muscle development and meat quality, yet its mechanistic basis in geese remains unclear. This study investigated how dietary perennial ryegrass modulates meat quality through microbiota reshaping and AMPK/Akt-mTOR signaling. Geese were fed a commercial diet (CD) or a ryegrass feeding (GD) for 30 days. GD markedly improved breast muscle morphology, increasing fiber density and reducing cross-sectional area, while enhancing meat color, texture, protein conformation, and reducing cooking loss and shear force. Amino acid and fatty acid enrichment, together with elevated antioxidant activity in serum, ileum and muscle, further supported quality improvement. 16S rRNA sequencing revealed increased Bacteroides, Akkermansia, Faecalibacterium, and Butyricicoccus abundances and higher short-chain fatty acid levels. Western blot and immunofluorescence confirmed AMPK activation and Akt-mTOR inhibition. These findings identify perennial ryegrass as a functional dietary strategy to enhance geese meat quality via gut-muscle metabolic crosstalk.

Comments

Web of Science

NPJ

Citation

Zulfiqar, Z., Asif, M.A., Alharbi, K. et al. Dietary perennial ryegrass improves meat quality: insights into the gut-muscle axis in geese. npj Sci Food 9, 258 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41538-025-00642-1

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