Dietary Resveratrol Improves the Flesh Quality of Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) by Enhancing Myofiber Growth, Nutrient Accumulation and Antioxidant Capacity

Abstract

Background In aquaculture, sturgeons are generally kept in the confined spaces, which not only restricts sturgeon movement, but also further threatens their flesh quality. As a typical antioxidant, resveratrol has been shown in many studies to improve the meat quality of livestock and poultry. However, the mechanism of resveratrol's effect on the muscle of Siberian sturgeon is still unclear. Results In this study, we observed that the myofiber diameter and the expression levels of mTORC1 and MYH9 in muscle were increased after resveratrol was added to the daily diet, indicating that resveratrol may promote muscle growth. In addition, the content of the amino acids in muscle of Siberian sturgeon was increased to some extent after feeding on resveratrol. Moreover, antioxidant capacity markers (CAT, LDH and SOD) levels were increased in muscle after feeding with 0.16 mg/kg of resveratrol. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis displayed that ROS production-related pathways ("Oxidative phosphorylation" and "Chemical carcinogenes-reactive oxygen species") were enriched in KEGG analysis, and the expression levels of genes related to the production of ROS (COX4, COX6A, ATPeF1A, etc) in mitochondria were significantly down-regulated, while the expression levels of genes related to scavenging ROS (SOD1) were up-regulated. Conclusions In summary, our study provides an evidence that resveratrol can promote the flesh quality of Siberian sturgeon by enhancing myofiber growth, nutritional value and the antioxidant capacity of muscle, which has certain reference significance for the development of a new type of feed for Siberian sturgeon.