Identification of common aroma contributors and the regulated metabolites of different kinds of meat

Meat from different species has a unique odor; however, there is a lack of systematic research on the basic and characteristic components responsible for the formation of meat aroma. This study aimed to identify the contributors to meat odor by a multispecies comparison between chicken, duck, pork, and beef. The combined analysis identified 13 contributing substances. Eight substances [(E)-2-nonenal, (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, hexanal, heptanal, octanal, nonanal, 1-octen-3-ol, and dimethyl, tetrasulfide] were considered universal contributors to meat odor, and five [(E,E)-2,4-decadienal, (E,Z)-2,4-decadienal, (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal, (E)-2-nonenal, and (E)-2-decenal] had a characteristic contribution to the aroma of meat from different species. Further, we revealed the positive relationship between 11 of these 13 substances. Also, arachidonic acid and diacylglycerol (16:0/16:0/0:0) were the metabolic markers of olefine aldehydes through five common pathways (biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, and so on). These findings revealed the contributors and metabolic pathways to meat smell and might help understand the regulatory mechanism of the aroma quality of meat.