College of Veterinary Medicine, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China; Xinjiang academy of animal science, Urumqi 830052, China.
Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Food Science and technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China.
Food Chem. 2025 Feb 1;464(Pt 3):141851. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141851. Epub 2024 Oct 30.
To investigate the impact of age and gender on mutton flavor and quality, we analyzed mutton from 12-month-old and 6-month-old rams and ewes. The results indicated that 12 months Hetian white sheep exhibited higher levels of amino acids, protein, free fatty acids, and reducing sugars compared to 6-months. Additionally, amino acid, protein, and reducing sugar levels were higher in ewes than 12 months rams. Proteomic analysis revealed that proteins related to fatty acid metabolism, intramuscular fat (IMF), and mitochondrial function were more abundant in ram. The upregulation proteins involved in amino acid metabolism in ewes highlights its richer flavor profile compared to ram. Proteins associated with muscle development and mitochondrial activity were more highly expressed in the 12-month-old samples compared to those from 6-month-old sheep. ECI1, highly expressed in rams, is linked to IMF content. We hypothesize that ECI1 may serve as a potential protein marker for mutton quality.
为了研究年龄和性别对羊肉风味和品质的影响，我们分析了来自 12 月龄公羊和母羊以及 6 月龄公羊和母羊的羊肉。结果表明，12 月龄和田羊的游离氨基酸、蛋白质、游离脂肪酸和还原糖含量显著高于 6 月龄。此外，母羊的游离氨基酸、蛋白质和还原糖含量高于 12 月龄公羊。蛋白质组学分析表明，与脂肪酸代谢、肌内脂肪（IMF）和线粒体功能相关的蛋白质在公羊中更为丰富。与公羊相比，与氨基酸代谢相关的上调蛋白使母羊具有更丰富的风味特征。与肌肉发育和线粒体活性相关的蛋白在 12 月龄样品中表达更高，而在 6 月龄绵羊中表达较低。在公羊中高表达的 ECI1 与 IMF 含量有关。我们假设 ECI1 可能是羊肉质量的潜在蛋白标志物。
