Aflatoxin B1 and Eimeria ovinoidalis impairs meat quality of sheep by regulating the HIF-1ɑ/HK2/glycolysis axis.

Mutton consumption is increasing due to its abundant nutritional elements and flavorful taste. However, sheep breeding is inevitably influenced by various factors, including feed mycotoxin contamination and parasitic infection. In this study, we investigated the effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and Eimeria ovinoidalis (EO) on sheep meat quality following a two-week treatment. The results showed that oxidative stress triggered by EO or AFB1 in feed could cause significant changes in meat quality. Metabolomics and transcriptomics further revealed that the alteration in mutton quality is closely associated with glycolysis mediated by the hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) pathway. Interestingly, the glycolytic enzyme hexokinase 2 (HK2), a downstream gene of the HIF-1α pathway, exhibits a strong affinity for AFB1 and its metabolites, as revealed by molecular docking analysis, which is associated with a change in mutton quality-related indices. These findings provide novel insights that Eimeria or/and AFB1 compromise mutton quality by disrupting the HIF-1α/HK2/glycolysis axis.