Changes in rabbit meat texture and calpain system genes expression following dietary supplementation with algae or vegetable oils

Meat texture is one of the most important parameters of meat quality and it could be improved by lipid sourced from vegetable oils. This study was undertaken to analyze the changes in meat texture, and in the mRNA expression of calpains (CAPN1 and CAPN3) and calpastatin 2 (CAST2) following diet supplemented with 1% algae (A), 3% sunflower (OS) oil, or 3% soybean oil (SO), using Blanc de Termonde rabbits at different age (12 and 18 weeks). Animals in the control group (C) received feed without additives. Animals were randomly sorted (40 rabbits/each group, balanced for sex). The General Linear Model (GLM) procedure was used to analyze the data and the Tukey–Kramer test was used for multiple comparisons. Our results indicate that the texture of rabbit meat depends on the age and algae, sunflower, and soybean oil supplementation, and diet-age interaction. The influence of the diet on CAPN1, CAPN3, and CAST2 expression depends on the rabbit age. In 12-week-old animals, meat shear force was greater following algae and soybean oil supplementation. Moreover, soybean oil decreased CAPN1, CAPN3, and CAST2, and algae supplement decreased CAST2 genes expression in rabbit muscle. In 18-week-old rabbits, supplementation with sunflower or soybean oil improved meat hardness, chewiness, and shear force. Additionally, sunflower oil increased CAPN1 and decreased CAST2 gene expression in the muscle tissue, providing new information about the molecular mechanism of meat texture in rabbits.