Influence of the Silkworm-Derived (Bombyx mori) Functional Substance (Silkrose-BM) on the Fish Meat Quality of Yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata)

Abstract

Popular foods such as sushi and sashimi depend on the quality of raw fish meat to maintain consumer satisfaction. Recently, dietary insect meal and insect-derived substances have been extensively studied for application in aquaculture as a protein alternative or immunostimulant. However, the impact of insect functional substances on the fish meat quality of teleosts remains unclear. Here, we investigated the influence of dietary inclusion of silkrose-BM, a novel bioactive polysaccharide derived from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, on the meat quality of yellowtail (Seriola quinqueradiata). This study was conducted by comparing two groups given different feeds, commercial EP and feeds containing Silkrose-BM (0.1%), after a culture period of six months in separate floating-net cages. The yellowtail were specifically cut into loins and several meat quality parameters were observed, including proximate, meat color changes, total collagen, drip loss, muscle histology, and gene expression (qRT-PCR). The results of the color-change analysis showed that discoloration of red muscle in the EP feed group occurred faster than in the silkrose-BM group, indicating an antioxidant property of silkrose-BM. Dietary silkrose-BM also significantly reduced drip loss and increased the total collagen content of yellowtail meat. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis showed that genes related to lipid and protein degradation were downregulated in the muscles of fish fed on silkrose-BM. In contrast, proximate analysis indicated no significant change in the nutritional composition of the meat between the groups. Taken together, our results suggest that dietary silkrose-BM could improve fish meat quality by minimizing protein denaturation and inhibiting lipid oxidation during fish meat storage.

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