Unveiling ferroptosis in postmortem pork: Mechanistic insights and implications for lipid oxidation induced meat...

This study investigates lipid peroxidation-induced ferroptosis in postmortem pork and its impact on meat quality development. Longissimus lumborum muscles were analyzed during 0-72 h aging at 4 °C. The C11-BODIPY staining detected lipid peroxidation in membranes. Additionally, rapid degradation of glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), coupled with glutathione depletion, demonstrated impaired antioxidant defense. Ultrastructural imaging revealed typical ferroptosis features including condensation and reduced cristae in mitochondria. Moreover, immunofluorescence and western blot analyses showed transferrin receptor protein 1 (TfR1) increased significantly during postmortem aging (P < 0.05), accompanied by elevated iron accumulation. These biochemical changes collectively indicated the occurring of ferroptosis in pork during postmortem aging. Further analysis demonstrated ferroptosis activation negatively affected pork quality, including water-holding capacity, color, and texture, while enhancing tenderness. The findings suggest ferroptosis as a potential mechanism linking lipid oxidation to postmortem muscle-to-meat conversion, offering novel insights for quality optimization in meat processing.