Effects of γ-Aminobutyric Acid on Antioxidant Capacity and Cecal Microbial Structure of Broilers

doi:10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2025-0553

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To explore the effects of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and cecal microbial structure of broilers. Method A total of 408 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers with similar body weights were randomly divided into 2 groups (6 replicates per group and 34 chickens per replicate): the control group (CON group) was fed with the basal diet, while the GABA group was fed with the experimental diet supplemented with GABA (50 mg/kg) based on the basal diet. The trial lasted for 42 d. Result Dietary supplementation with GABA significantly increased the ether extract content in the breast muscle, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), as well as the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the livers of broilers (P<0.05), while significantly decreased the shear force in breast muscle and the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in serum (P<0.05). Microbial analysis indicated that the cecal microbiota composition of broilers in the GABA group was significantly different from that in the CON group (P<0.05). Compared with the CON group, the relative abundances of Alistipes and Blautia significantly increased (P<0.05), while the relative abundances of Rikenella and Parabacteroides significantly decreased in the GABA group (P<0.05). Moreover, the relative abundances of Alistipes and Blautia were positively correlated with the ether extract content in breast muscle, the activities of SOD and GSH-Px, as well as the T-AOC in the liver (P<0.05), while negatively correlated with the shear force in breast muscle and the MDA content in serum of broilers (P<0.05). The relative abundance of Rikenella was negatively correlated with the activities of GSH-Px and T-AOC in the liver of broilers (P<0.05). Additionally, the PICRUSt2 functional predicting results showed that the cecal microbiota of broilers in the GABA group significantly enhanced functions in pentose and glucuronate interconversions, sphingolipid metabolism, nitrotoluene degradation, steroid hormone biosynthesis, and N-glycan biosynthesis (P<0.05), and significantly reduced functions in amoebiasis disease compared with the CON group (P<0.05). Conclusion Adding 50 mg/kg of GABA to the diet may promote the fat deposition in breast muscle, improve the tenderness of breast muscle, enhance the antioxidant capacity, and change the structure of cecal microbiota of broiler at 42 d of age.

Key words: γ-aminobutyric acid, broiler, growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, cecal microbial structure

MA Shun, ZHAO Xu, LIU Xue, CHEN Guang-kun, GAO Yue, DING Jin, ZHANG Jing-yi, ZHAO Yi-meng, GONG Li-yu, LI Hong-tao. Effects of γ-Aminobutyric Acid on Antioxidant Capacity and Cecal Microbial Structure of Broilers[J]. Biotechnology Bulletin, 2025, 41(12): 351-359.

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1 Comparative analysis of the growth performance of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group

项目 Item	CON组 CON group	GABA组 GABA group	P值 P-value
平均日采食量 ADFI （g/d）	94.68±0.63	95.54±0.62	0.353
平均日增重 ADG （g/d）	63.92±0.53	64.24±0.42	0.654
料重比 F/G	1.48±0.01	1.49±0.01	0.583
欧洲效益指数 EPI	417.26±5.51	417.65±4.28	0.957

Table 2 Comparative analysis of the breast meat quality of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group

项目 Item	CON组 CON group	GABA组 GABA group	P值 P-value
干物质 DM （%）	26.30±0.23	26.50±0.31	0.615
粗蛋白质 CP （%）	21.77±0.17	21.64±0.31	0.737
粗脂肪 EE （%）	2.33±0.09	3.09±0.06	<0.001
能量 Energy （KJ/g）	6.12±0.04	6.34±0.11	0.090
pHi	6.03±0.02	6.08±0.02	0.134
pHu	5.56±0.05	5.63±0.02	0.208
ooked meat percentage （%）熟肉率 C	71.05±0.51	70.97±0.60	0.914
蒸煮损失 Cooking loss （%）	15.16±0.96	14.00±0.24	0.299
剪切力 Shear force （N）	85.88±7.20	62.82±2.01	0.008

Table 3 Comparative analysis of the antioxidant capacity of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group

部位 Parts	项目 Items	CON组 CON group	GABA组 GABA group	P值 P-value
胸肌 Breast muscle	丙二醛 MDA （nmol/gprot）	404.76±39.74	350.54±29.70	0.320
胸肌 Breast muscle	超氧化物歧化酶 SOD （U/mgprot）	3.71±0.11	3.80±0.08	0.555
肝脏 Liver	丙二醛 MDA （nmol/gprot）	620.36±78.42	570.87±95.13	0.695
	超氧化物歧化酶 SOD （U/mgprot）	73.72±6.16	115.81±9.26	0.005
	谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 GSH-Px （U/mgprot）	55.69±4.00	99.27±6.31	<0.001
	总抗氧化能力 T-AOC （U/mgprot）	2.28±0.12	3.73±0.06	<0.001
血清 Serum	丙二醛 MDA （nmol/mL）	4.08±0.11	3.18±0.21	0.005
	超氧化物歧化酶 SOD （U/mL）	118.44±6.02	119.84±6.23	0.875
	谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶 GSH-Px （U/mL）	2 580.88±161.53	3 009.12±253.61	0.208
	总抗氧化能力 T-AOC （U/mL）	17.85±0.26	17.60±1.49	0.871

Fig. 1 Venn diagram of the OTU of cecal microbiota of broilers in the CON group and the GABA group

Fig. 2 Comparative analysis of the α diversity of cecal microbiota of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group

Fig. 3 Comparative analysis of the β diversity of cecal microbiota of broilersA: Analysis of the PCoA of cecal microbiota of broilers in the CON group and the GABA group. B: Adonis grouping test of cecal microbiota of broilersin the CON group and the GABA groupbetween the CON group and the GABA group

Fig. 4 Comparative analysis of the composition of cecal microbiota of broilers between the CON group and the GABA groupA: Composition of cecal microbiota at phylum level of broilers betwwen the CON group and the GABA group (top 10). B: Composition of cecal microbiota at genus level of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group (top 10). C: Comparative analysis of the differences of cecal microbiota at genus level of broilers between the CON group and the GABA group

Fig. 5 Spearman correlation analysis of significantly different meat quality and antioxidant indicators with significantly different cecal microbiota at genus level (top 10) of broilersEE: Breast muscle crude fat content. SF: Breast muscle shear force. SOD: Liver superoxide dismutase activity. GSH-Px: Liver glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity. T-AOC: Liver total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). MDA: Serum malondialdehyde content. * indicates significant correlation (P<0.05), and ** and *** indicate extremely significant correlation (P<0.01 and P<0.001)

Fig. 6 Prediction analysis of different function of cecal microbiota of broilers in the CON group and the GABA group

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