Abnormal iron metabolism can cause oxidative stress in broilers, and transport stress (TS) may potentially influence iron metabolism. However, the mechanisms by which TS affects iron metabolism are unclear. This study used quantitative proteome analysis based on tandem mass tag (TMT) to investigate the effects of TS on liver iron metabolism in broilers. Broilers (n = 24) reared under the same conditions were selected randomly into the transported group for 4 h (T2) and non-transported group (T1). Results showed that the serum iron level and total iron-binding capacity of broilers in the T2 were significantly higher than those in the T1 (p < 0.05). The liver iron content of broilers in the T2 (0.498 ± 0.058 mg·gprot⁻¹) was significantly higher than that in the T1 (0.357 ± 0.035 mg·gprot⁻¹), and the iron-stained sections showed that TS caused the enrichment of iron in the liver. We identified 1139 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). Twelve DEPs associated with iron metabolism were identified, of which eight were up-regulated, and four were down-regulated in T2 compared with T1. Prediction of the protein interaction network for DEPs showed that FTH1, IREB2, and HEPH play vital roles in this network. The results provide new insights into the effects of TS on broilers’ liver iron metabolism.

In the study, the oleogel developed by lecithin/sorbitol monostearate (SMS) with canola oil was prepared and used as lamb fat replacer (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) for lamb sausage. Lecithin/SMS-canola oil oleogel decreased the cooking loss, hardness, springiness, chewiness and resilience of sausage, without affecting the cohesiveness. The ratio of unsaturated to saturated fatty acid increased from 1.12 to 3.38 as the replacement increased from 0 to 100%, presenting a health implication. The sensory scores showed no significant difference when the replacement was lower than 50%. The TBARS values of treatment groups were significantly lower than the control after 24 d storage, indicating the retard of lipid oxidation. These findings suggest that 50% replacement of lamb fat with lecithin/SMS-canola oil oleogels may be the optimal for lamb sausages, which provide new information for developing healthy meat products.

In order to broaden the use of chicken fat (CF), a new shortening was developed using stearin fractions of CF as a raw material. The CF was mixed with different base oils, and the compatibility, plasticity, and polymorphism of the mixture were analyzed. The influence of emulsifiers on the water-absorbing and air-absorbing abilities, and rheology of the CF-based shortening was studied. The mixtures of CF with palm oil at a mass ratio of 7:3 and CF with beef tallow at a mass ratio of 5:5 exhibited good compatibility, plasticity for baking, and crystal structure. By analysis of water-absorbing and air-absorbing abilities, the optimal amount of emulsifiers in both mixtures was determined as 1%, and the ratios of distilled monostearate, SPAN 60, and lecithin were determined to be 0.45:0.45:0.1 and 0.45:0.1:0.45 in the mixtures of CF with palm oil and CF with beef tallow, respectively. Different emulsifiers had significant effects on the rheological properties of CF-based shortenings. In addition, mixed emulsifiers had greater effects on the water-absorbing and air-absorbing abilities of the shortening than single emulsifier. Abbreviations: BT: Beef tallow; CF: Chicken fat; DMS: Distilled monostearate; DSC: Differential scanning calorimeter; HPO: Hydrogenated palm oil; PO: Palm oil; POO: Palm oil olein; POS: Palm oil-based shortenings; PS: Palm stearin; SFC: Solid fat content; SMP: Slip melting point; XRD: X-ray diffraction.