The meat quality of chicken is an important factor affecting the consumer’s health. It was hypothesized that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) could be effectively deposited in chicken, by incorporating antioxidation of soybean isoflavone (SI), which led to improved quality of chicken meat for good health of human beings. Effects of partial or complete dietary substitution of lard (LA) with linseed oil (LO), with or without SI on growth performance, biochemical indicators, meat quality, fatty acid profiles, lipid-related health indicators and gene expression of breast muscle were examined in chickens. A total of 900 males were fed a corn–soybean meal diet supplemented with 4% LA, 2% LA + 2% LO and 4% LO and the latter two including 30 mg SI/kg (2% LA + 2% LO + SI and 4% LO + SI) from 29 to 66 days of age; each of the five dietary treatments included six replicates of 30 birds. Compared with the 4% LA diet, dietary 4% LO significantly increased the feed efficiency and had no negative effect on objective indices related to meat quality; LO significantly decreased plasma triglycerides and total cholesterol (TCH); abdominal fat percentage was significantly decreased in birds fed the 4% LO and 4% LO + SI diets. Chickens with LO diets resulted in higher contents of α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3), EPA (C20:5n-3) and total n-3 PUFA, together with a lower content of palmitic acid (C16:0), lignoceric acid (C24:0), saturated fatty acids and n-6:n-3 ratio in breast muscle compared to 4% LA diet (P < 0.05); they also significantly decreased atherogenic index, thrombogenic index and increased the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic ratio. Adding SI to the LO diets enhanced the contents of EPA and DHA (C22:6n-3), plasma total superoxide dismutase, reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione and muscle GSH content, while decreased plasma total triglyceride and TCH and malondialdehyde content in plasma and breast muscle compared to its absence (P < 0.05). Expression in breast muscle of fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1), FADS2, elongase 2 (ELOVL2) and ELOVL5 genes were significantly higher with the LO diets including SI than with the 4% LA diet. Significant interactions existed between LO level and inclusion of SI on EPA and TCH contents. These findings indicate that diet supplemented with LO combined with SI is an effective alternative when optimizing the nutritional value of chicken meat for human consumers.

鸡肉的肉质是影响消费者健康的重要因素。据推测，通过结合大豆异黄酮（ SI ）的抗氧化作用，n-3多不饱和脂肪酸（n-3 PUFA）可以有效地沉积在鸡肉中，从而提高鸡肉的品质，从而促进人类健康。用亚麻籽油 ( LO )部分 或 完全 替代 猪油 ( LA ) 的影响)，对鸡的生长性能、生化指标、肉质、脂肪酸谱、脂质相关健康指标和胸肌基因表达进行了检查。总共 900 名雄性被喂食玉米豆粕日粮，辅以 4% LA、2% LA + 2% LO 和 4% LO，后两者包括 30 mg SI/kg (2% LA + 2% LO + SI和 4% LO + SI) 29 至 66 日龄；五种饮食处理中的每一种都包括 30 只鸡的 6 次重复。与4% LA 日粮相比，4% LO 日粮显着提高了饲料效率，且对肉质相关客观指标无负面影响；LO 显着降低血浆甘油三酯和总胆固醇（TCH); 饲喂 4% LO 和 4% LO + SI 日粮的鸡的腹部脂肪百分比显着降低。采用 LO 日粮的鸡的α-亚麻酸( C18:3n-3)、EPA (C20:5n-3) 和总 n-3 PUFA 含量较高，而棕榈酸 (C16:0) 含量较低，与 4% LA 饮食相比，胸肌中的 lignoceric acid (C24:0)、饱和脂肪酸和 n-6:n-3 比例（P < 0.05）；它们还显着降低了动脉粥样硬化指数、血栓形成指数并增加了低胆固醇血症与高胆固醇血症的比率。在 LO 日粮中添加 SI 可提高 EPA 和 DHA (C22:6n-3)、血浆总超氧化物歧化酶、还原型谷胱甘肽 ( GSH ) 的含量)/氧化型谷胱甘肽和肌肉 GSH 含量，而血浆和胸肌中的血浆总甘油三酯和 TCH 和丙二醛含量比不存在时降低 ( P < 0.05)。脂肪去饱和酶1 (FADS 1 )、FADS2 、延伸酶2 (ELOVL 2 ) 和ELOVL5 基因在胸肌中的表达在包括SI在内的LO饮食中显着高于4% LA 饮食。LO 水平与 EPA 和 TCH 含量中包含的 SI 之间存在显着的相互作用。这些发现表明，在优化鸡肉对人类消费者的营养价值时，补充 LO 和 SI 的饮食是一种有效的选择。