Effects of dietary rosemary extract on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, fatty acid and amino acid compositions, and proteomic profile of duck breast muscle.

This study aims to determine the effects of dietary rosemary extract (RE) on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, fatty acid and amino acid compositions, and proteomic profile of duck breast muscle. Female Linwu ducks were allocated to 5 groups, giving basal diet supplemented with 0, 50, 150, 250, and 350 mg/kg RE for 56 d. Results showed that RE supplementation reduced average daily feed intake and feed-to-gain ratio of ducks, improved meat color, reduced drip loss, switched myofiber type, increased antioxidant capacity, and modulated amino acid and unsaturated fatty acid compositions in breast muscle. Subsequently, proteomic analysis comparing meat samples from the control and 250 mg/kg RE groups revealed the insulin signaling pathway and primary bile acid biosynthesis as major enriched pathways, identifying eight potential biomarkers. These findings suggest a novel approach to improve duck meat quality, and extend our knowledge of meat quality related markers.