Metabolomics approach reveals high energy diet improves the quality and enhances the flavor of black Tibetan sheep meat by altering the composition of rumen microbiota

Abstract

This study aims to determine the impact of dietary energy levels on rumen microbial composition and its relationship to the quality of Black Tibetan sheep meat by applying metabolomics and Pearson's correlation analyses. For this purpose, UHPLC-QTOF-MS was used to identify the metabolome, whereas 16S rDNA sequencing was used to detect the rumen microbiota. Eventually, we observed that the high energy diet group (HS) improved the carcass quality of Black Tibetan sheep and fat deposition in the longissimus lumborum (LL) compared to the medium energy diet group (MS). However, HS considerably increased the texture, water holding capacity (WHC), and volatile flavor of the LL when compared to that of MS and the low energy diet group (LS). Metabolomics and correlation analyses revealed that dietary energy levels mainly affected the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids of the LL, which consequently influenced the content of volatile flavor compounds (VOCs) and fats. Furthermore, HS increased the abundance of Quinella, Ruminococcus 2, (Eubacterium) coprostanoligenes, and Succinivibrionaceae UCG-001, all of which participate in the carbohydrate metabolism in rumen and thus influence the metabolite levels (stachyose, isomaltose, etc.) in the LL. Overall, a high-energy diet is desirable for the production of Black Tibetan sheep mutton because it improves the mouthfeel and flavor of meat by altering the composition of rumen microbiota, which influences the metabolism in the LL.

Exploring the effects of palm kernel meal feeding on the meat quality and rumen microorganisms of Qinghai Tibetan sheep

“…For amino acid (AA) analysis, an Agilent 1290 Infinity LC ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography system (Agilent, Waldbronn, Germany) was used along with a 5500 QTRAP mass spectrometer (AB SCIEX). The conditions used for the high‐performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry were as described by Zhang, Han, Hou, Raza, Gui, et al ( 2022 ). The HPLC conditions were as follows: the mobile phase: 25 mM ammonium format +0.08% FA aqueous solution for liquid A and 0.1% FA acetonitrile for liquid B.…”

Effects of dietary wheat supplementation levels on growth performance, rumen bacterial community and fermentation parameters in Chinese Tibetan Sheep

“…At the end of the experiment, 15 lambs with five lambs per treatment were provided with free access to drinking water and fasted The blood samples were immediately carried out from the jejunum and transferred to the laboratory for analysis of serum biochemistry. Synchronously, the rumen fluid was collected by four layers of gauze for the ruminal fermentation and microorganism analyses (Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Effect of Different Heat Treatments on the Quality and Flavor Compounds of Black Tibetan Sheep Meat by HS-GC-IMS Coupled with Multivariate Analysis

“…BTS meat is quite popular for its unique flavor, texture, and nutritional value. Previously, we reported that BTS meat has high nutritional value with high protein and amino acids content and low-fat content [2]. Concerning the sensory value, BTS meat is more tender, less fibrous, and chewy.…”

“…of one breed BTS is better than others such as the White Tibetan sheep. The current research mainly focuses on the effect of feed on the meat quality, rumen parameters, and growth performance of BTS [2,3], while the effect of different heat processing methods on the meat characteristics of BTS is largely unclear.…”

“…The fatty acid composition, intramuscular fat content, and oxidative stability determine the texture, juiciness, taste, and overall flavor of the meat. Aldehydes, alcohols, and ketones are the most volatile flavor substances in mutton [2], which mainly originate from fatty acids and their degradation products. Therefore, the flavor of cooked meat is largely related to the type and content of fatty acids.…”