Comparative metabolomic analysis of spaghetti meat and wooden breast in broiler chickens: unveiling similarities and dissimilarities

Authors: CHOI, JANGHAN - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); SHAKERI, MAJID - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); KIM, WOO KYUN - University Of Georgia; Kong, Byungwhi; Bowker, Brian; Zhuang, Hong

Submitted to: Frontiers in Physiology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/18/2024
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: In modern broiler production, spaghetti meat (SM) and wooden breast (WB) are frequently observed breast meat quality defects. The WB condition is characterized by tough texture and SM is characterized by soft texture, loss of meat integrity, and muscle fiber detachment. Understanding biochemical similarities and dissimilarities between SM and WB is critical to understanding their causes and may be helpful in finding potential solutions to reduce their incidence in broilers. This study determined metabolomic differences between normal, SM, and WB breast fillets. Compared to normal breast meat, both SM and WB showed metabolite profiles indicating altered cellular homeostasis, lipid metabolism, steroid hormone production, and carbon metabolism. However, the degree of these changes often differed between SM and WB. These results highlight both commonalities and differences in the underlying causes of SM and WB.

Technical Abstract: Spaghetti meat (SM) and wooden breast (WB) are emerging myopathies in the breast meat of fast-growing broiler chickens. The purpose of the study was to investigate the metabolomic differences between normal (N), SM, and WB fillets 24 h postmortem. Eight chicken breasts for each experimental group were collected from a commercial processing plant. Supernatant from tissue homogenates were subjected to ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) analysis. A total of 3,090 metabolites were identified in the chicken breast meat. The comparison of WB and N showed 850 differential metabolites (P < 0.05), and the comparison of SM and N displayed 617 differential metabolites. The comparison of WB and SM showed 568 differential metabolites. The principal component analysis (PCA) plots showed a distinct separation between SM and N and WB and N except for one sample, but SM and WB were not distinctly separated. Compared to N, 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HETE) increased, and D-inositol-4-phosphate decreased in both SM and WB, indicating that cellular homeostasis and lipid metabolism can be affected in SM and WB. The abundance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H) (NADH) was exclusively decreased between SM and N (P < 0.05). Purine metabolism was upregulated in SM and WB compared to N with a greater degree of upregulation in WB than SM. Steroid hormone biosynthesis was downregulated in SM and WB compared to N with greater degree of downregulation in SM than WB. Carbon metabolism was downregulated in SM and WB compared to N with greater degree of downregulation in WB than SM. These data suggest both shared and unique metabolic alterations in SM and WB, indicating commonalities and differences in their underlying etiologies and meat quality traits.