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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Food Science Technology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1399390

The comparison of meat yield, quality, and flavor between small-tailed Han sheep and two crossbred sheep and related candidate genes verification

Provisionally accepted
Cheng Xiao Cheng Xiao 1,2,3*Yu Liu Yu Liu 1Wenjun Zhao Wenjun Zhao 1,4Yingjia Liang Yingjia Liang 1Chao Cui Chao Cui 1Shaoying Yang Shaoying Yang 1Wenwen Fang Wenwen Fang 1Lisheng Miao Lisheng Miao 1Zhiyu Yuan Zhiyu Yuan 1Zihan Lin Zihan Lin 5Bo Zhai Bo Zhai 1Zhongli Zhao Zhongli Zhao 1Lichun Zhang Lichun Zhang 1Huihai Ma Huihai Ma 1HaiGuo Jin HaiGuo Jin 1Yang Cao Yang Cao 1
  • 1 Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Changchun, China
  • 2 Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN),Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, Dummerstorf, Germany
  • 3 Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Rostock University, Rostock, Germany
  • 4 College of Agriculture, Yanbian University, Yan Ji, China
  • 5 College of Plant Protection, Jilin Agriculture University, Changchun, Jilin Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Dorper or Australian white ram are generally crossbred with small-tailed Han (STH) ewe to improve the offspring's meat yield and quality in northeast China. However, the differences in that traits and flavor between the crossbred sheep and STH sheep remain unclear. Also, the candidate genes related to meat quality need to be verified in the three sheep. 18 2-month-old healthy rams were raised for 5 months including, 6 STH, Do x STH, and Au x STH offspring. The slaughter and meat quality traits, fatty acids and amino acids composition in the longissimus dorsi (MLD), and volatile compounds in the semitendinosus muscle were compared the differences among the sheep. The candidate genes related to intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acids were verified. The results showed that the crossbred sheep had higher body, carcass, bone, net meat weight, and higher IMF content than the STH sheep (P＜0.05). The Do x STH offspring had higher a pH value (24 h), moisture content, cooking percentage, redder, and brighter meat color. The content of myristate, palmitic, and margaric acid in the crossbred sheep was higher than in the STH sheep (P ＜0.05). The Do x STH offspring had the highest saturated fatty acids content (P＜0.05). The Au x STH offspring had the highest protein content (P ＜ 0.05). Arachidonic acid and amino acids content (Asp, Ala, Ile, Leu, Lys, Thr, and essential amino acids) in the STH sheep were higher than in the crossbred sheep (P ＜0.05). Odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed that most of the aldehydes in the Au x STH offspring had higher values. The PDK4 gene expression was positively associated with IMF content and was negatively correlated with linoleic acid content in the Do x STH sheep (P ＜ 0.05). The TMEM273 gene expression was positively associated with linoleic and arachidonic acid content and was negatively correlated with oleic and palmitic acid content in the Do x STH sheep (P ＜ 0.05). The results showed the differences between the crossbred sheep and STH sheep and provided the candidates related to meat quality in sheep.

    Keywords: Small-tailed Han sheep, Crossbred sheep, Meat yield, quality, Volatile compound, PDK4 gene, TMEM273 gene

    Received: 11 Mar 2024; Accepted: 12 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Xiao, Liu, Zhao, Liang, Cui, Yang, Fang, Miao, Yuan, Lin, Zhai, Zhao, Zhang, Ma, Jin and Cao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Cheng Xiao, Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Changchun, China

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