Muscle proteomics reveals biomarkers of stress and meat quality in organic versus conventional broiler chickens.

ABSTRACT: Animal welfare is a crucial factor in animal production, given its impact on ethics, consumer choices, and meat quality. Stress markedly influences poultry physiology and meat quality by affecting muscle biochemistry and key attributes such as tenderness, flavor, and color. This study employed a label-free quantitative (LFQ) proteomics approach using nLC-ESI-MS/MS combined with bioinformatics to compare muscle protein expression in broiler chickens raised under organic versus conventional production systems. A total of 722 proteins were identified, with 165 significantly upregulated and 162 downregulated in organic chickens. STRING analysis indicated that proteins upregulated in the organic group were primarily associated with oxygen transport, oxygen/metal binding, and muscle structure, s

SUBMITTER: Luciani M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12723023 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature