Pagination not final (cite DOI) / Pagination provisoire (citer le DOI) 1 ARTICLE Effects of flavonoids from Allium mongolicum Regel as a dietary additive on meat quality and composition of fatty acids related to flavor in lambs Wangjing Liu, He Ding, Khas Erdene, Renwei Chen, Qier Mu, and Changjin Ao Abstract: Sixty male Small-tailed Han sheep (initial body weight: 42.5 ± 4.1 kg) were assigned randomly and aver- agely into four groups to evaluate effects of flavonoids extracted from Allium mongolicum Regel (AMR) on meat qual- ity and composition of fatty acids related to flavor in longissimus dorsi muscle of lambs. Lambs of four groups were fed a basal control diet (C), and basal diet + three different amounts of flavonoids extracted from the AMR; those − − − were 11 mg kg 1 (Flav 11), 22 mg kg 1 (Flav 22), or 33 mg kg 1 (Flav 33), respectively. Dressing percentage, loin eye area, cooking loss, and pressing loss were affected by treatments (P < 0.05). Percentage of intramuscular fat, the concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid, C18:0, total saturated fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acid, and 4-methyloctanoic acid in longissimus dorsi muscle were changed by treatments (P < 0.05). Addition of AMR to diet improved the meat quality and had favorable effects on fatty acid composition related to meat flavor in longissimus dorsi muscle. Key words: Allium mongolicum Regel, flavonoids, lambs, meat quality, flavor, fatty acids. Résumé : Soixante moutons mâles de race Small-tailed Han (poids initial : 42,5 ± 4,1 kg) ont été assignés aléatoirement et en moyenne dans quatre groupes pour évaluer les effets des flavonoïdes extraits à partir d’Allium mongolicum Regel (AMR) sur la qualité de viande et la composition en acides gras reliés à la saveur dans le muscle longissimus dorsi chez les agneaux. Les agneaux des quatre groupes ont reçu une diète témoin de base (C — «control»),etunediètedebase+troisquantités différentes de flavonoïdes extraits d’AMR; soit − − − 11 mg kg 1 (Flav 11), 22 mg kg 1 (Flav 22) ou 33 mg kg 1 (Flav 33), respectivement. Il y a eu un effet des traitements sur les rendements de la carcasse, le faux-filet et les pertes à la cuisson et au pressage (P < 0,05). Le pourcentage For personal use only. de gras intramusculaire et les concentrations d’acide eicosapentaénoïque, de C18:0, des acides gras saturés totaux, des acides gras mono-insaturés et d’acide 4-méthyleoctanoïque dans le muscle longissimus dorsi ont été changés par les traitements (P < 0,05). L’ajout d’AMR à la diète a amélioré la qualité de viande et a eu des effets favorables sur la composition d’acides gras reliés à la saveur de la viande dans le muscle longissimus dorsi. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : Allium mongolicum Regel, flavonoïdes, agneaux, qualité de viande, saveur, acides gras. Introduction hypertensive, hypolipidemic, and anti-inflammatory Allium mongolicum Regel (AMR) is a typical plant of the (Obmann et al. 2010). The herdsmen living in the Lilopsida family, which grows in the desertified Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, found that grassland in Mongolia, Siberia, and the north of the sheep fed with AMR had a special flavor of mutton People’s Republic of China (Schmitt et al. 2005). The which was well received by most people; at the same AMR has been shown to have a variety of nutrients time, the sheep had few diseases and grew faster after for humans, in addition to having a pleasant taste. eating the AMR (Bao et al. 2015). We have previously According to the Mongolian Pharmacopoeia, it has reported that AMR and its extracts decreased saturated Can. J. Anim. Sci. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by Inner Mongolia Agricultural University on 01/04/19 many important physiological effects, including anti- fatty acids content of subcutaneous fat, longissimus dorsi Received 22 January 2018. Accepted 4 April 2018. W. Liu,* H. Ding,* K. Erdene,* R. Chen, Q. Mu, and C. Ao. College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, People’s Republic of China. Corresponding author: Changjin Ao (email: [email protected]). *These authors contributed equally to this work. Copyright remains with the author(s) or their institution(s). Permission for reuse (free in most cases) can be obtained from RightsLink. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 00: 1–9 (0000) dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjas-2018-0008 Published at www.nrcresearchpress.com/cjas on 4 December 2018. Pagination not final (cite DOI) / Pagination provisoire (citer le DOI) 2 Can. J. Anim. Sci. Vol. 00, 0000 muscle, and perinephric fat and increased content of sieve. The powder was then defatted and decolored by monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty petroleum ether, in which the ratio of powder to petro- acids, improved mutton quality, and decreased odor of leum ether was 1:10. After evaporation, crude extracts mutton (Zhang et al. 2008). were extracted by ultrasonic assisted extraction Allium plants are rich in flavonoids, which are impor- method (Maryam et al. 2016). Briefly, AMR powder was tant active ingredients (Maisashvili et al. 2009), and mixed with ethanol (50%) at a ratio of 1:30 (w/v), and AMR produces many flavonoid compounds as well. extracted at 40 °C for 15 min. After centrifugation at − Flavonoids containing diphenylchromone are widely 2000 rev min 1 for 10 min, the supernatant was col- present in plants (Bodas et al. 2011). All flavonoids pro- lected and then concentrated using a rotary evaporator duce polyphenolic compounds (Rice-Evans et al. 1996), (model: R1002B, Yamato Scientific, People’s Republic of which play important roles in growth development, China). Finally, the extracts were lyophilized in a freeze antibiosis, and disease prevention (Block 1992). dryer (model: CA301, Yamato Scientific, People’s Flavonoids extracted from leaves of Allium plants had Republic of China). The extracts were mainly flavonoids positive effects on texture,odor,color,flavor,and reported by our previous studies (Zhao 2008), and then nutritive value in meat (Iwashina 2003; Devatkal et al. the structure of flavonoids was identified by liquid 2010; Terevinto et al. 2010). Young growing ruminants chromatography–electrospray ionization–tandem mass may have evolutionarily depended on flavonoids spectrometry technology. The results showed that (Heinrichs 2005). Yaghoubi et al. (2008) found that the extracts contain seven kinds of flavonoids young Holstein calves provided with high dose (luteolin-5′-O-glucose-4-hydroxyphenyl propionate, − − (3.6 × 10 3 gkg 1 body weight) of flavonoids from bee quercetin-7-O-3-O-rutaceae glucoside, kaempferol-4′-O- propolis had been improved growth and body weight. 3,7-O-O-2glucosidase, 7-O-5,4′-dimethoxy-3′-hydroxy Flavonoids from soybean significantly increased dress- flavonol, 3′,4′-epoxy-7-O-5-methoxy-flavonol, quercetin- ing percentage, loin eye area, and cooking loss of pigs 7-O-3-O-glucoside, and kaempferol-7-O-3-O-glucoside, (Wenk et al. 2000). As a consequence of these benefits, respectively). there are a growing number of studies on the benefits of flavonoids (Andrés et al. 2013; Simitzis et al. 2013). Experimental animals and rearing However, there are few works about flavonoids from The feeding trial was conducted with Small-tailed Han AMRasfeedadditivesandtheireffectsonmeat sheep. All procedures were undertaken following the quality. guidelines of the China Agricultural University Animal The cooked flavor was closely associated with Care and Use Committee on animal ethics. The experi- branched-chain fatty acids (BCFAs), which are related ment was carried out at Fu Chuan Breeding Technology For personal use only. to mutton flavor (Wong et al. 1975). Higher acceptance Co., Ltd. in Bayannuoer city, Inner Mongolia, People’s of the final cooked meat product was found with lower Republic of China (40°79′N, 107°42′E, 1038 m above sea concentrations of 4-methyloctanoic acid (MOA) level). The ambient temperature and relative humidity (Watkins et al. 2014). Obviously, ameliorating impacts values during the study were in the range of 23–28 °C of MOA and 4-ethyloctanoic acid (EOA) on the sensory and 28%–33%, respectively. The trial adopted one-factor components of meat would result in higher acceptance of completely random design. Sixty growing Small-tailed the final product by consumers. Based on the above- Han sheep (initial body weight, 42.5 ± 4.1 kg) around mentioned facts, we especially studied whether the 6-mo-old were randomly distributed into four groups of inclusion of the flavonoids extracted from AMR in a con- 15 animals for a period of 75 d. Lambs were allowed 15 d centrate mix ration could decrease composition of fatty to acclimate to the diets, and experimental measure- acids related to flavor [MOA, 4-methylnonanoic (MNA), ments were taken in 60 d. and EOA]. All lambs were dewormed and vaccinated against The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of common sheep diseases before the experiment. Based inclusion of flavonoids from AMR in a concentrate mix on our previous studies, the supplementation amounts ration on lamb’s meat quality, and composition of fatty were primarily determined by the amounts of fresh acids related to flavor in longissimus dorsi muscle of AMR, or its dried powder addition to the lamb diets that lambs. had favorable effects on growing performance, meat Can. J. Anim. Sci. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by Inner Mongolia Agricultural University on 01/04/19 quality, and meat flavor, and the final amounts were cal- Materials and Methods culated according to the extractive rate of crude flavo- Extraction process of AMR flavonoids noids from AMR. Respective rations were offered to the The AMR was collected from natural pasture in Alxa animals twice daily, and water was available ad libitum. League of Inner Mongolia area, and it was identified by Four groups of experimental animals were fed the the Institute of Ecology and Environment of Inner composition of diets as follows, feeding basal diet (C), Mongolia Agricultural University (T.Y.