Identification of important substances in subcutaneous fat affecting meat quality in Tibetan pigs and Duroc by lipid-protein-transcriptome

Consumers are increasingly concerned about pork quality, with subcutaneous fat being a key focus of research. To identify specific markers underlying breed differences, we compared the subcutaneous fat of Tibetan pigs and Duroc pigs through fatty acid metabolomics and expression profiling. Our analysis revealed 345 differentially lipid compounds, 238 differentially expressed proteins, and 993 differentially expressed genes. Further investigation identified MT2A , ABHD14B , PDK4 , and APOA1 as candidate genes potentially responsible for the differences in subcutaneous fat and meat quality between the two breeds. Additionally, butyric acid emerged as a potential biomarker distinguishing Tibetan pigs from Duroc pigs. In summary, our findings suggest that the distinctive flavor of Tibetan pigs compared to Durocs may stem from differences in fat deposition and energy utilization efficiency, resulting in higher levels of flavor compounds such as ATP and butyric acid. Furthermore, the TAG-rich subcutaneous fat of Tibetan pigs may be more readily absorbed by the human body, although this possibility warrants further investigation.