Interpretive Summary: Acute stress deteriorates breast meat quality of Ross 308 broiler chickens by inducing redox imbalance and mitochondrial dysfunction

By: Hongju Liao, Lin Zhang, Jiaolong Li, Tong Xing, Feng Gao

Preslaughter acute stress can cause physiological and metabolic disorders of broilers and lead to deterioration of meat quality and high incidence of pale, soft, and exudative (PSE)-like meat, which block the development of broiler industry. Acute stress-induced imbalance of redox status and insufficient energy supply are important reasons for meat quality reduction. Mitochondria provide the overall cellular energy production through oxidative phosphorylation and play a key role in maintaining energy homeostasis. Investigating the effects of acute stress on mitochondrial function and exploring the possible mechanisms involved in mitochondrial function regulation can promote an understanding of how acute stress affects broiler meat quality. Our results indicate that pre-slaughter transport under high environmental temperature reduces energy status and induces oxidative stress in pectoralis major muscle of broilers, which contribute to the deterioration of meat quality and the increased occurrence of PSE-like meat. The oxidative damage of mitochondria and the dysregulation of mitochondrial function are responsible for the energy deficiency and redox imbalance. Although broilers improve the antioxidant capacity and enhance the biosynthesis as well as the decoupling of respiratory chain for maintaining mitochondrial function in response to acute stress, these adaptive responses are insufficient to restore mitochondrial homeostasis and redox status. 

Read the full article in the Journal of Animal Science.