Widely Targeted Metabolomic Analysis Revealed the Diversity in Milk from Goats, Sheep, Cows, and Buffaloes and Its Association with Flavor Profiles
Fuhong Zhang,
Yaling Wang,
Baolong Liu,
Ping Gong,
Chenbo Shi,
Lu Zhu,
Jianqing Zhao,
Weiwei Yao,
Qingqing Liu,
Jun Luo
Affiliations
Fuhong Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Yaling Wang
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Baolong Liu
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Ping Gong
Institute of Animal Husbandry Quality Standards, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumchi 830000, China
Chenbo Shi
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Lu Zhu
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Jianqing Zhao
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Weiwei Yao
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Qingqing Liu
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Jun Luo
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
The milk flavor can be attributed to the presence of numerous flavor molecules and precursors. In this study, we employed widely targeted metabolomic analysis techniques to analyze the metabolic profiles of various milk samples obtained from goats, sheep, dairy cows, and buffaloes. A total of 631 metabolites were identified in the milk samples, which were further categorized into 16 distinct classes. Principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that the metabolite profiles of samples from the same species exhibit clustering, while separated patterns of metabolite profiles are observed across goat, sheep, cow, and buffalo species. The differential metabolites between the groups of each species were screened based on fold change and variable importance in projection (VIP) values. Five core differential metabolites were subsequently identified, including 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypropanoic acid, inosine 5′-triphosphate, methylcysteine, N-cinnamylglycine, and small peptide (L-tyrosine–L-aspartate). Through multiple comparisons, we also screened biomarkers of each type of milk. Our metabolomic data showed significant inter-species differences in the composition and concentration of some compounds, such as organic acids, amino acids, sugars, nucleotides, and their derivatives, which may affect the overall flavor properties of the milk sample. These findings provided insights into the molecular basis underlying inter-species variations in milk flavor.
