Takahashi Hideaki
Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, NARO, Tsukuba 305-0901, Japan.
J Poult Sci. 2018;55(3):163-171. doi: 10.2141/jpsa.0170123. Epub 2018 Feb 25.
In Japan, the majority of chicken meat is obtained from fast-growing broiler chickens. Because most Japanese chicken breeds have a low meat yield and egg production, many of these breeds are endangered. Recently, the palatability of meat and eggs of native chickens has been reevaluated in the Japanese market. Jidori, which means chicken from the local, is an indigenous local chicken that is more delicious, firmer in texture, and more expensive than the broiler chickens. Most Japanese consumers recognize that the meat of Jidori chicken is richer in flavor than that of the broiler chicken. However, the reason for this rich flavor of the meat of Jidori chicken has not been elucidated. Recently, we found that arachidonic acid (AA) (C20:4n-6), a polyunsaturated fatty acid, is associated with the rich flavor of the meat and eggs of Jidori chicken. The present paper summarizes the discovery of the involvement of AA in the flavor characteristic of the meat and eggs of chicken, and also the genetic regulation of the AA content in the meat and eggs of Jidori chicken.
在日本，大部分鸡肉来自快速生长的肉鸡。由于大多数日本鸡品种的产肉量和产蛋量较低，其中许多品种濒临灭绝。最近，日本市场重新评估了本地鸡的肉和蛋的适口性。“地鸡”意为来自当地的鸡，是一种本土地方鸡，比肉鸡更美味、肉质更紧实，价格也更高。大多数日本消费者认为地鸡肉比肉鸡的肉味道更浓郁。然而，地鸡肉这种浓郁风味的原因尚未阐明。最近，我们发现多不饱和脂肪酸花生四烯酸（AA）（C20:4n - 6）与地鸡肉和蛋的浓郁风味有关。本文总结了AA参与鸡肉和蛋风味特征的发现，以及地鸡肉和蛋中AA含量的遗传调控。
