Prevotella copri Improves Selenium Deposition and Meat Quality in the longissimus dorsi Muscle of Fattening Pigs.

Selenium is among the important trace elements that influence the quality of meat. Although it has been established that the gut microbiota is closely associated with selenium metabolism, it has yet to be determined whether these microbes influence the accumulation of selenium in muscles. To identify gut microbiota that potentially influence the deposition of selenium in muscles, we compared the colonic microbial composition of pigs characterized by high and low contents of selenium in the longissimus dorsi muscle and accordingly detected a higher abundance of the bacterium Prevotella copri (P. copri) in pigs with a higher muscle selenium content. To verify the effect of P. copri, 16 pigs weighing approximately 61 kg were fed either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with P. copri (1.0 × 10 CFU/kg feed) for 45 days. The results revealed significant increases in the contents of selenium and selenoprotein in the serum and longissimus dorsi muscle of fattening pigs fed the P. copri-supplemented diet. Moreover, supplementing the feed of pigs with P. copri was observed to promote significant improvement in the antioxidant capacity and quality of meat, including drip loss, pH, and meat color. In conclusion, our findings in this study indicate that P. copri has potential utility as a dietary supplement for improving the selenium status and meat quality in fattening pigs.