Fatty acid in the intramuscular and abdominal fat of chickens: their composition, deposition, regulation and impact on flavor

Fatty acid (FA) is a crucial determinant of meat flavor and nutritional value. Currently, research on FA in livestock and poultry primarily focuses on the nutritional regulation of intramuscular fat (IMF) and meat flavor, leaving other adipose tissue and their functional substances less studied. The abdominal fat (AF) of chickens, as a major site of fat deposition, has edible value and flavor potential for utilization. Therefore, we summarized and discussed the recent research findings on the compositional characteristics, deposition patterns, and regulatory mechanisms of FA in both IMF and AF of chickens. We reveal that the main FA (constituting >80% of the total) in AF is identical to that in IMF. Furthermore, we established links between three primary influencing factors (diet, age, and breed) and fatty acid-derived flavor precursors (such as aldehydes), and we explored genetic factors regulating FA deposition. We found that only a few genes, notably FADS2 , co-regulate FA deposition in both tissues. This review explores strategies for enriching and utilizing FA by focusing on FA composition and deposition, aiming to provide novel insights into enhancing the nutritional value and flavor profiles of poultry.