Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Small Ruminant Research, cilt.257, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Transport stress is a significant animal welfare issue that can impact the quality of sheep meat. This study examined that the relationship between the expression levels of miR-1, miR-133, miR-181a, and miR-206 and several meat quality parameters in lambs transported at two distinct loading densities. For this purpose, 30 healthy Kivircik breed were randomly assigned to two groups and transported for 45 min at loading densities of 0.2 m²/lamb (Group I, n = 15) and 0.3 m²/lamb (Group II, n = 15). Muscle samples were taken from the longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle for genetic and meat quality assessment. The results indicated that the expression levels of miR-1, miR-133, miR-181a, and miR-206 were significantly downregulated in Group II compared to Group I (P < 0.001), and miR-206 had the lowest expression levels. There were significant correlations between blood parameters pre-transport and the levels of miR-133 and miR-206 (P < 0.05). In Group I, meat color traits were significantly correlated with the expression levels of miR-1, miR-133, and miR-181a (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the expression levels of miR-1, miR-133, miR-181a, and miR-206 in sheep appear to be influenced not only by transport stress but also by loading density. The findings demonstrate that transport conditions and loading density influence miRNA expression levels, potentially indicating transport-induced physiological responses associated with meat quality under certain circumstances. Additionally, miR-1, miR-133, and miR-181a can be considered potential molecular biomarkers associated with specific meat quality traits observed in Group I, rather than direct indicators of animal welfare.