Characterization of the Flavor Precursors and Flavor Fingerprints in Grazing Lambs by Foodomics

Abstract

Tan sheep are greatly preferred by consumers in China because of their nutritional value and unique flavor. However, the meat quality of Tan sheep has decreased due to the change in feeding systems from grazing to indoor. Studies investigating the mechanisms for the decrease in meat quality are limited. A total of 28 Tan sheep were randomly allocated to two treatments, receiving a concentrated diet, or pasture. Flavor precursors and volatile compounds were analyzed with foodomics. E-nose and E-tongue analyses suggested that the aroma and taste profiles differed between the feeding systems. The grazing lambs had higher levels of linoleic acid and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (p < 0.01). Metabolomics indicated that 25 hydrophilic metabolites active in glycolipid and amino acid metabolisms were changed by the feeding system. Among the 57 volatile compounds identified, methional, γ-butyrolactone, benzaldehyde, and ethyl acetate were at concentrations significantly higher in the grazing lambs than the indoor-fed lambs (p < 0.01). These results reveal key changes in flavor precursors and flavor profiles affected by the feeding system, which may provide an initial view of the reason for consumer preference for the grazing Tan sheep.

Influence of Dietary Algae Meal on Lipid Oxidation and Volatile Profile of Meat from Lambs with Competent Reticular Groove Reflex

“…Aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones were the most abundant volatiles in all samples, accounting for more than 70% of the total volatiles detected. It has been observed that these compounds show a higher relative abundance in lamb meat regardless of if the animals are reared on pastures or fed concentrates indoor [ 27 ]. Aldehydes and ketones were found in greater amounts ( p < 0.05) in the ALGCON treatment ( Table 2 ).…”

“…Contrary to our results, ethanol has been reported in a higher amount in meat from pasture-fed lambs as well as in beef cattle fed 100 mg/d of Schizochytrium sp. powder, i.e., from animals with intramuscular fat rich in long chain omega-3 FA [ 27 , 36 ]. The γ-dodecalactone has been reported in greater amounts in loin fat of a clover-finished lamb than in that of a maize-finished lamb [ 44 ].…”

Multiple Technologies Combined to Analyze the Changes of Odor and Taste in Daokou Braised Chicken during Processing

“…The e-tongue can be used for rapid, accurate, qualitative and quantitative analyses of flavors [ 9 ]. Yuan et al [ 10 ] analyzed the diferences of aroma and taste of Tan sheep using an e-nose and e-tongue. Chromatographic techniques such as gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) are currently important research tools for analyzing food flavor [ 11 , 12 ].…”

Semi-Quantitative and Qualitative Distinction of Aromatic and Flavour Compounds in Charcoal Grilled, Electric Barbecue Grilled, Infrared Grilled and Superheated-Steam Roasted Lamb Meat Patties Using GC/MC, E-nose and E-tongue

“…In some studies concerning the volatile compound composition in meat, multivariate statistical techniques have been applied for data processing. Therefore, PCA for data visualization has been used to study the impact of different forage systems on the volatile composition of commercial lambs [16,17]. Ref.…”

“…On the other hand, Ref. [17] investigated the overall aroma profile in grazing lambs. According to the PCA results, the first two principal components explained 94.1% of the variance in aroma.…”