Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (7): 3316-3326.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2025.07.024

• Animal Nutrition and Feeds • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Exploring the Effects of Different Ratios Mixed Silage on Volatile Compounds in Lamb Meat by HS-GC-MS

SONG Juanjuan1(), SUN Xuchun2, CHEN Huili3, WANG Chunhui1, LI Dengpan1, MA Keyan1, MA Youji1,*()   

  1. 1. College of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultral University, Lanzhou 730070, China
    2. Animal Husbandry Technology Extending Stations of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Linxia 731100, China
    3. Agricultural and Rural Bureau of Linxia City, Gansu Province, Linxia 731100, China
  • Received:2024-08-14 Online:2025-07-23 Published:2025-07-25
  • Contact: MA Youji E-mail:2589259175@qq.com;yjma@gsau.edu.cn

Abstract:

The aim was to investigate the effects of different mixing ratios of silage dietary on the volatile flavor compounds of lamb meat. Eighteen 3-month-old male Australian White×Hu sheep hybrid F1 lamb, with similar body weights and genetic backgrounds, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n=6): T1, T2, and T3, and were fed mixed silages of whole-plant corn and whole-plant soybean at ratios of 8 ∶2, 7 ∶3, and 6 ∶4, respectively. After 60 days of feeding, longissimus dorsi muscle samples were collected to analyze fatty acid profiles and volatile compounds (VOCs) using headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). Key flavor compounds in the lamb meat were identified through variable importance in the projection (VIP), odor activity value (OAV), and volatile compound annotation methods. Results showed that monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the T3 group were significantly higher than those in the T2 group (P < 0.05). A total of 290 VOCs were identified in lamb meat, and categorized into 14 classes, with aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, and esters being the most abundant. OAV analysis identified 12 VOCs contributing to lamb flavor, among which aldehydes exhibited the highest overall contribution. The OAVs of decanal, nonanal, octanal, and heptanal in the T3 group were significantly higher than those in the T1 group (P < 0.05). VIP and OAV analyses with flavor annotations revealed that octanal, decanal, and 1-octen-3-ol served as both differential volatile markers among treatments and key contributors to desirable lamb flavors, including grassy, sweet, fruity, and floral. In summary, octanal, decanal, and 1-octen-3-ol are critical VOCs driving flavor differences in lamb meat under varying silage ratios, with the 6∶4 corn-to-soybean (T3) blend optimal for enhancing flavor quality. This research elucidates the impact of mixed corn-soybean silage diets on lamb flavor and provides a scientific basis for optimizing dietary formulations to improve meat flavor.

Key words: HS-GC-MS, mixed silage, lamb meat, volatile compounds

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