Dietary supplementation with carnosine improves antioxidant capacity and meat quality of finishing pigs

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary carnosine (β-alanyl-L-histidine) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and meat quality of pigs. 72 pigs approximately 60 kg were fed a corn- and soybean meal-based diet supplemented with 0, 25, 50 or 100 mg carnosine per kg diet for 8 weeks. Carnosine supplementation did not affect growth performance and carcass traits of pigs. However, the addition of 100 mg carnosine per kg diet increased pH value of muscle at 45 min, 24 h and 48 h postmortem. It also decreased drip loss at 48 h postmortem and increased redness value of muscle at 45 min postmortem (p < 0.05). The addition of 100 mg carnosine per kg diet enhanced glycogen concentration and Ca-ATPase activity at 24 and 48 h postmortem, and reduced malondialdehyde and carbonyl protein complexes concentrations in muscle at 24 h postmortem (p < 0.05). The addition of 100 mg carnosine per kg diet increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in plasma, liver or muscle, as well as SOD and GSH-Px genes expression in muscle (p < 0.05). Taken together, these findings indicate that carnosine supplementation improves antioxidant capacity and meat quality of pigs.

Effects of dietary supplementation with carnosine on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and muscle fiber characteristics in broiler chickens

“…In the present study, dietary supplementation with carnosine significantly increased the activities of T‐AOC, GSH‐Px and T‐SOD in thigh muscle. Similarly, previous studies have found that carnosine supplementation increased the activities of T‐SOD and GSH‐Px in skeletal muscle of finishing pigs, elevated GSH‐Px activity in the liver and kidney of diabetic mice and decreased pro‐oxidant status induced by d ‐galactose in the liver of rats . The antioxidant action of carnosine mainly depends on chelating divalent metal ions and scavenging free radicals .…”

Chemoprotective effects of carnosine against genotoxicity induced by cyclophosphamide in mice bone marrow cells

“…Administration of carnosine for 5 days resulted in the inhibition of micronuclei caused by CP, and it showed protective and anticlastogenic effects. [22][23][24][25] These enzymatic antioxidants have important role in reducing side effects induced by oxidative stress. The main characteristic of antioxidants is the ability to trap free radicals.…”

Effects of dietary potato by-product and rumen-protected histidine on growth, carcass characteristics and quality attributes of beef

“…Further, treatment of beef patties with 50 mM carnosine increased a* value during a 20 d retail display and decreased both lipid and myoglobin oxidation (Sánchez-Escalante, Djenane, Torrescano, Beltrán, & Roncalés, 2001). Pigs supplemented with carnosine (100 mg/kg/d for 8 weeks) prior to slaughter found that the meat had an increased a* value following fabrication (Ma et al, 2010). Further, mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase was increased leading the authors to hypothesize that carnosine supplementation improves antioxidant capacity and meat quality of pigs (Ma et al, 2010).…”

“…Pigs supplemented with carnosine (100 mg/kg/d for 8 weeks) prior to slaughter found that the meat had an increased a* value following fabrication (Ma et al, 2010). Further, mRNA expression of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase was increased leading the authors to hypothesize that carnosine supplementation improves antioxidant capacity and meat quality of pigs (Ma et al, 2010). Additionally, previous studies have outlined the differences between more and less color stable cuts of meats including some of the physiologic reasons believed to be responsible for these differences (Hood, 1980;Hunt & Hedrick, 1977;King, Shackelford, Rodriguez, & Wheeler, 2011;McKenna et al, 2005).…”

“…Meat color is one of the most important criteria influencing consumer purchase (Cornforth, 1994;Gatellier, Mercier, Juin, & Renerre, 2005). Oxidation of lipid and protein in meat forms agents known to negatively affect the color and palatability of meat products (Ma, Jiang, Lin, Zheng, & Zhou, 2010). β-Carotene is an antioxidant known to reduce the effects of oxidation.…”