Dietary inulin supplementation improves the physicochemical and gel properties of duck myofibrillar protein: Insights into the effect of muscle fiber types

This study explored the effects of different levels of dietary inulin supplementation (0–30 g/kg) on the physicochemical and gel properties of duck myofibrillar protein (MP). The results demonstrated that gel strength and water holding capacity of the gel samples were significantly increased (P < 0.05) by 11.69% and 9.26%, respectively, after the addition of 20 g/kg inulin into the diet. Inulin supplementation facilitated the conversion of free water to immobile water. Moreover, dietary inulin increased rheological properties, solubility, surface hydrophobicity, and Ca²⁺-ATPase activity in MP, while reducing particle size and carbonyl content. Raman spectroscopy revealed an increase in the content of α-helix and hydrogen bonds in MP, promoting the structural stability. A denser gel network structure was observed in the dietary inulin group than that in the control group. These improvements in the physicochemical and gel properties of duck MP are related to the fact that dietary inulin increases the proportion of type I muscle fibers in duck meat. This study provides a novel strategy for improving the gel quality of duck MP and reveals the underlying molecular mechanism of dietary inulin in enhancing duck meat quality.