Unraveling the differences in meat flavor of duck and its regulatory mechanisms based on microbiomics, metabolomics, and flavoromics sequencing

Consumers increasingly demand high-quality duck meat flavor, with reports showing notable flavor variations among different duck breeds. This study aims to clarify the flavor differences between Jinling white duck (JL), Cherry Valley duck (CV), and Liancheng white duck (LC), as well as to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms. Electronic-nose results revealed distinct flavor differences among LC, CV, and JL. The analysis showed that the JL vs. CV group contains 330 differential VOCs and 119 differential water-soluble compounds, while the JL vs. LC group has 112 differential VOCs and 74 differential water-soluble compounds. Metabolomic analysis of the pectoral muscle revealed 74 differential precursors compounds in the JL vs. CV comparison, and 147 in JL vs. LC comparison. Multi-omics analysis suggested that Anaerotruncus and Lautropia may negatively regulate the deposition of flavor precursor LPE O-14:1 in pectoral muscle, influencing 3-methyl-pentadecane and cholic acid levels, thereby affecting the duck meat flavor. These findings demonstrate that JL exhibits distinct flavor characteristics compared to LC and CV, providing valuable insights for meat quality improvement in the poultry industry.