Multi-omics reveals flavor characteristics landscape of muscles in Chinese broilers

ABSTRACT Qingyuan partridge chickens are valued as a high-quality Indigenous broiler breed in China, characterized by their distinctive and superior meat flavor. To systematically investigate the flavor precursor basis and molecular signatures underlying this quality, we integrated volatile metabolomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, and RNA-seq analyses across five anatomical parts: breast muscle ( BM , Pectoralis major), abdominal muscle ( AM , External abdominal oblique), back muscle ( BAM , Latissimus dorsi), thigh muscle ( TM , Tensor fasciae latae), and drumstick muscle ( DM , Gastrocnemius). Metabolomics identified linoelaidic acid and malic acid, among others, as potential contributing substances of muscle parts. Lipidomics revealed distinct abundances of specific lipid species, including PE (20:4_18:0) and PS (18:0_21:0). RNA-seq revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched in multiple flavor-associated pathways. Integrated multi-omics analysis further identified 83 metabolites, 97 lipids, and 1 volatile compound with strong interactive roles in defining the flavor precursor landscape, and notably, benzaldehyde emerged as a critical volatile marker for part discrimination. In summary, this multi-omics investigation uncovered potential factors of the flavor profile in Qingyuan partridge chickens, providing a reference for leveraging regional chicken specialties.