Inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis promotes the production of 1-octen-3-ol through mevalonic acid.

1-Octen-3-ol makes an important contribution to meat flavor. The goal of this study was to identify the metabolic pathways of 1-octen-3-ol formation in meat. We found 218 metabolites associated with 1-octen-3-ol content in 20 samples of chicken meat, including mevalonic acid (positive correlation), corticosterone (negative correlation), and other lipids and lipid-like molecules. Among these 218 metabolites, 17 metabolites were differentially expressed in different 1-octen-3-ol content groups. Similarly, 37 genes were not only differentially expressed, but were significantly correlated with 1-octen-3-ol. The regulation of HSP90AA1, PTPN9, and other genes converted more mevalonic acid to 1-octen-3-ol. Meanwhile, mevalonic acid, a key material in the synthesis of cholesterol, caused a decrease in corticosterone content, affecting ZNF414 and KLF15 gene expression. These findings reveal the effect of cholesterol on 1-octen-3-ol content, as well as a positive regulation of mevalonic acid on the production of 1-octen-3-ol in chicken meat.