Xiao Cheng, Liu Yu, Zhao Wenjun, Liang Yingjia, Cui Chao, Yang Shaoying, Fang WenWen, Miao Lisheng, Yuan Zhiyu, Lin Zihan, Zhai Bo, Zhao Zhongli, Zhang Lichun, Ma Huihai, Jin Haiguo, Cao Yang
Institute of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Gongzhuling, China.
Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, Dummerstorf, Germany.
Front Nutr. 2024 Aug 1;11:1399390. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1399390. eCollection 2024.
In Northeast China, Dorper and Australian White rams are commonly crossbred with small-tailed Han (STH) ewes to improve the offspring's meat yield and quality. However, the differences in traits and the flavor between the crossbred sheep and STH sheep remain unclear. In addition, the candidate genes potentially influencing the meat quality in the three sheep breeds require further verification.
A total of 18 2-month-old healthy rams were raised over a period of 5 months, which included 6 STH, 6 Dorper and small-tailed Han crossbred (Do × STH), and 6 Australian white and small-tailed Han crossbred (Au × STH) offspring. The differences in slaughter, meat quality traits, fatty acid and amino acid composition in the muscular (MLD), and volatile compounds in the semitendinosus muscle were compared between the sheep breeds. The candidate genes related to intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acids were validated.
The results of this study revealed that the crossbred sheep had higher body weight, carcass weight, bone weight, net meat weight, and IMF content than the STH sheep ( < 0.05). The Do × STH offspring had a higher pH value (24 h), moisture content, and cooking percentage; they also had redder and brighter meat color. The content of myristate, palmitic, and margaric acids in the crossbred sheep was higher than that in the STH sheep ( < 0.05). The Do × STH offspring had the highest saturated fatty acid content ( < 0.05). The Au × STH offspring had the highest protein content ( < 0.05). The arachidonic acid and amino acid (Asp, Ala, Ile, Leu, Lys, Thr, and essential amino acid) contents were higher in the STH sheep than in the crossbred sheep ( < 0.05). The odor activity value (OAV) analysis showed that most of the aldehydes in the Au × STH offspring had higher values. The gene expression was positively associated with the IMF content and was negatively correlated with the linoleic acid content in the Do × STH sheep ( < 0.05). The gene expression was positively associated with linoleic and arachidonic acid contents and was negatively correlated with oleic and palmitic acid contents in the Do × STH sheep ( < 0.05).
The results showed the differences between the crossbred sheep and STH sheep and provided the candidate genes related to meat quality in sheep.
在中国东北地区，杜泊羊和澳大利亚白公羊通常与小尾寒羊母羊杂交，以提高后代的产肉量和肉质。然而，杂交羊与小尾寒羊在性状和风味上的差异仍不明确。此外，这三个绵羊品种中潜在影响肉质的候选基因需要进一步验证。
共饲养18只2月龄健康公羊，为期5个月，其中包括6只小尾寒羊、6只杜泊羊与小尾寒羊杂交后代（杜×寒）以及6只澳大利亚白与小尾寒羊杂交后代（澳×寒）。比较了各绵羊品种在屠宰性能、肉质性状、肌肉中脂肪酸和氨基酸组成以及半腱肌中挥发性化合物方面的差异。对与肌内脂肪（IMF）含量和脂肪酸相关的候选基因进行了验证。
本研究结果表明，杂交羊的体重、胴体重、骨重、净肉重和IMF含量均高于小尾寒羊（P<0.05）。杜×寒后代的pH值（24小时）、水分含量和熟肉率较高；其肉色也更红更亮。杂交羊中肉豆蔻酸、棕榈酸和十七烷酸的含量高于小尾寒羊（P<0.05）。杜×寒后代的饱和脂肪酸含量最高（P<0.05）。澳×寒后代的蛋白质含量最高（P<0.05）。小尾寒羊中花生四烯酸和氨基酸（天冬氨酸、丙氨酸、异亮氨酸、亮氨酸、赖氨酸、苏氨酸和必需氨基酸）的含量高于杂交羊（P<0.05）。气味活性值（OAV）分析表明，澳×寒后代中的大多数醛类物质具有较高的值。在杜×寒羊中，[基因名称]的表达与IMF含量呈正相关，与亚油酸含量呈负相关（P<0.05）。在杜×寒羊中，[基因名称]的表达与亚油酸和花生四烯酸含量呈正相关，与油酸和棕榈酸含量呈负相关（P<0.05）。
结果显示了杂交羊与小尾寒羊之间的差异，并提供了与绵羊肉质相关的候选基因。
