Multi-omics analyses reveal the regulatory mechanisms of riboflavin to improve meat quality in Pekin ducks.

This study explored the effects of dietary riboflavin supplementation on breast meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, metabonomics, transcriptomics, and phosphoproteomics of Pekin ducks. A total of 96 14-day-old ducks were randomly allotted to two treatment groups, each with 8 replicates of 6 birds, and were fed diets supplemented with 0 or 10 mg/kg riboflavin for 28 days. Compared to the control group without riboflavin supplementation, dietary riboflavin supplementation significantly increased breast muscle shear force, myofiber diameter, perimeter, and cross-sectional area, as well as myofibril diameter. Dietary riboflavin supplementation increased gene expression involved in myogenic differentiation of breast muscle in Pekin ducks, including MYOD, MRF4, and MYF5. Breast muscle metabolomics revealed that riboflavin stimulated fatty acid beta oxidation, as most carnitine-related metabolites were upregulated. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that riboflavin upregulated seven genes involved in muscle contraction (MYO3A, MYO5B, MYH11, MYBPC1, TNNI1, TNNT2, A2M), and ten genes involved in fatty acid synthesis, oxidation, and transport processes, which may contribute to enhanced intramuscular fat content. Furthermore, phosphoproteomics analysis indicated dietary riboflavin supplementation altered the phosphorylation levels of proteins involved in muscle contraction and glycolysis (PGM1, ENO1, and TPI1), which may lead to an increase in pH. In conclusion, riboflavin supplementation in the diet improved the breast meat quality and fiber development of ducks probably by activating fatty acid beta oxidation, synthesis, and transport, as well as muscle contraction, while simultaneously depressing glycolysis process.