Whole plant forage mulberry feed improves meat flavor in Wenchang chickens: insights from electronic nose, HS-GC-MS, and multi-omics analysis.

To evaluate whole plant forage mulberry (WPFM) and determine its optimal inclusion level for improving meat quality in Wenchang chickens, 640 birds (81 d) were assigned to four treatments (8 replicates; 20 birds/replicate): a basal diet (control) or the basal diet plus 2%, 4%, or 6% WPFM. After 40 d, breast and thigh muscles were analyzed. Compared with the control group, WPFM inclusion significantly reduced drip loss (by 7.19%-50.64%), muscle fiber diameter (by 15.87%-19.07%), and shear force in thigh muscle (by 10.93%-20.40%) (all P < 0.05). Notably, the 6% WPFM group exhibited the most pronounced effects: umami amino acids (Glu) and inosine monophosphate in thigh muscle increased by 6.47% and 11.66%, respectively (P < 0.01). Furthermore, volatile flavor compounds, including aldehydes and alcohols, increased progressively with increasing WPFM levels (P < 0.05). Three characteristic volatile compounds-geraniol, phenylethyl alcohol, and (E)-2-decenal-were uniquely detected only in the WPFM-supplemented groups. These findings provide a theoretical basis for improving chicken meat quality and supports the use of mulberry as a functional feed ingredient in poultry production.