# Coated Betaine Improves Lamb Meat Quality and Flavor by Modulating Rumen Microbial Flora

## TL;DR

Adding coated betaine to lamb diets improves meat quality and flavor by changing the rumen's microbial community.

## Contribution

This study shows that coated betaine enhances lamb meat quality through modulation of rumen microbiota and metabolites.

## Key findings

- CBet increased meat redness, tenderness, and beneficial fat and mineral concentrations.
- CBet boosted desirable flavor compounds and reduced undesirable odors in lamb meat.
- CBet altered rumen microbial composition, increasing Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bifidobacterium.

## Abstract

Taste, flavor, and nutritional value of lamb meat are critical factors influencing consumer preference. Developing safe and effective strategies to enhance these attributes is therefore essential for sustainable livestock production. This study investigated whether dietary supplementation with coated betaine (CBet), a natural feed additive, could improve lamb meat quality. Eighteen lambs were randomly allocated to two groups (n = 9 per group) and fed either a basal diet (control) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.20% CBet (treatment group) for 60 days. The results showed that CBet significantly improved meat redness, tenderness, and concentrations of beneficial fats and minerals. Notably, CBet increased desirable flavor notes (e.g., floral and roasted aromas) and reduced undesirable odors. These improvements were closely related to alterations in the ruminal microbial community, which promoted the generation of beneficial metabolites. Collectively, this study provides a safe nutritional strategy to improve lamb meat quality, satisfying consumer demands for tastier, healthier meat and supporting high-quality livestock production.

The sensory quality and flavor of lamb meat, critical to market competitiveness, are influenced by rumen microbial fermentation and dietary management strategies. Coated betaine (CBet), a rumen-protected methyl donor, exerts systemic nutritional regulation in ruminants. This study explored the effects of CBet supplementation on lamb meat quality using 18 Dorset ♂ × Hu sheep ♀ F1 crossbred lambs, randomly assigned to either a control group (basal diet) or a 0.20% CBet-supplemented diet for 60 days (n = 9 per group). The results demonstrated that CBet significantly increased ruminal concentrations of total volatile fatty acids (TVFAs), acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid (p < 0.05). Additionally, CBet supplementation enhanced muscle redness (a*), crude fat, crude ash, heptadecanoic acid (C17:0), and tricosanoic acid (C23:0) (p < 0.05) while decreasing shear force and the concentration of cis-13,16-docosadienoic acid (C22:2) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, CBet elevated characteristic flavor compounds (e.g., nonanal) and their relative odor activity values (ROAVs), and decreased undesirable odors (e.g., dodecanal) (p < 0.05). As illustrated in the graphical abstract, these improvements were mediated through regulatory effects of CBet on rumen microbiota composition, muscle fatty acids, amino acids, and volatile flavor compounds. Specifically, CBet significantly increased the relative abundances of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium in the rumen (p < 0.05) and altered the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 0.20% CBet effectively enhances lamb meat quality and flavor, effects closely associated with changes in the abundance of key ruminal microbial taxa.