Zhihao Yang

Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, China

Title: Unraveling proteome changes of Sunit lamb meat in different feeding regimes and its relationship to flavor analyzed by TMT-labeled quantitative proteomic

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Biography

My name is Zhi-Hao Yang, a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Food Science and Engineering at Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, China. My research focuses on my research direction is meat science and technology. To date, I have authored three peer-reviewed SCI articles in reputable journals, addressing topics such as dietary impacts on muscle proteomes, flavor compound profiling, and antioxidant capacity in pasture-fed livestock. My work emphasizes translating laboratory findings into practical solutions for improving food safety and consumer acceptance.

Abstract

This study comprehensively investigated the effects of pasture grazing (PF) and concentrate feeding (CF) regimes on the flavor characteristics of biceps femoris muscle in Sunit lambs using an integrated approach combining TMT-labeled quantitative proteomics, amino acid analysis, electronic tongue/nose, and GC-MS. Thirty-six lambs were randomly assigned to PF (grazed on semi-desert steppe) or CF (fed a 7:3 concentrate-to-roughage diet) groups for 90 days. PF meat exhibited significantly higher levels of umami-enhancing amino acids (aspartic acid: 2.14 vs. 2.02 g/100g; glutamic acid: 3.81 vs. 3.66 g/100g) and key volatiles, including pentanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and 2,3-octanedione (P < 0.05), while CF meat accumulated lipid oxidation-derived aldehydes (hexanal: 702 vs. 600 ?g/kg) and organic acids linked to off-flavors. Proteomic analysis identified 82 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs), with KEGG enrichment revealing pathways critical to flavor regulation: glutathione metabolism (e.g., glutathione S-transferase B0LXN9), amino acid biosynthesis (e.g., argininosuccinate synthase), and phenylalanine/tyrosine metabolism. Notably, PF lambs showed downregulation of amine oxidase (W5P1J8), correlating with reduced degradation of flavor-active amino acids. Electronic tongue/nose analyses further validated PF meat's superior umami intensity (1.8-fold higher) and aromatic complexity, attributed to elevated mushroom-like 1-octen-3-ol and fruity 2,3-octanedione. Mechanistically, grazing enhanced antioxidant capacity and amino acid retention through redox-related DAPs (e.g., aldehyde dehydrogenase 6A1), whereas concentrate feeding promoted proteolytic and lipolytic pathways associated with flavor deterioration. These findings elucidate the molecular interplay between dietary regimes, protein networks, and flavor chemistry, offering actionable insights for optimizing pasture-based systems to improve lamb meat quality. The integration of multi-omics and sensory tools establishes a robust framework for decoding diet-flavor relationships in ruminant production.