An NMR-based metabolomics study of pork from different crossbreeds and relation to sensory perception

Meat extracts from five different pig crossbreeds including Duroc/Landrace/Yorkshire (DLY), Iberian/Duroc (ID), Iberian/Duroc/Landrace (ILY), Mangalitza/Duroc (MD), and Mangalitza/Landrace/Yorkshire (MLY) were analysed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics. The results were compared with technological traits and sensory analyses in order to elucidate the potential of NMR-based metabolomics to highlight meat metabolites of importance for technological and sensory attributes of meat. Amino acids including alanine, carnosine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine, as well as lactate, inosine monophosphate (IMP), inosine, glycerol and choline-containing compounds were found to be significantly affected by crossbreed. The breed-specific differences in the metabolome were ascribed to differences in ante mortem metabolism, differences in the membrane properties and glycolytic potential of muscle fibres and differences in lipolysis and proteolysis. A high content of carnosine in the meat was associated with a low value of many sensory attributes related to meat flavor/taste, while IMP and inosine were in general not correlated with sensory attributes related to meat flavor/taste.