Reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated regulation of muscle texture in grass carp fed with dietary oxidants

Abstract Natural oxidant faba beans (FB) improve the muscle textural quality of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). This study further explored the role and spatiotemporal dynamics of ROS during the 120-day process of texture quality change in grass carp fed with four feeds including commercial feed, FB only, FB and antioxidants (vitamin C and vitamin E), and commercial feed and oxidant (vitamin K3). The results showed that ROS (total ROS, H2O2, ·O2− and ·OH) time-dependently accumulated from intestine to blood, liver and muscle, improving the muscle texture by day 90 in grass carp fed solely with FB. Dietary antioxidants supplementation almost completely abolished the effect. It is notable that the textural quality and level of total ROS in the commercial feed and oxidant group supplemented vitamin K3 were higher than those of other three groups by day 60 (p