Multi-omics analysis reveals that castration improves chicken meat flavor by altering lipid metabolic pathways.

This study elucidated key mechanisms by which castration influences chicken meat flavor. The findings revealed that castration led to decreased serum androgen levels and other hormonal changes. Fourteen key volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including 1-octen-3-ol and (E)-2-nonenal, were identified to be responsible for the flavor differences following castration. Lipidomics analysis revealed that castration primarily altered hydrolyzed fatty acids and triglyceride (TG) content, with no significant changes in phospholipids (PLIPs). Additionally, transcriptomic analysis showed that castration, by reducing androgen levels, induces the reprogramming of pectoral muscle gene expression, which inhibits PLA2G2A/PLA2G2E expression, thereby reducing PLIPs degradation, increasing fatty acid esterification, and promoting TG accumulation. These effects alter flavor precursor supply patterns via glycerol ester metabolism, leading to the characteristic changes in key VOCs, and creating the distinctive flavor profile of castrated chickens. In conclusion, a potential interaction mechanism of "hormones-lipids-VOCs" triggered by castration was established.