Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging
<b>Background:</b> Japanese Black beef is known for its high intramuscular fat content, an important factor in its distinctive Wagyu aroma. Wet aging, which involves vacuum-packing meat and storing it at low temperatures, enhances flavor, texture, and tenderness and is essential for main...
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| author | Shuji Ueda Yuka Yoshida Yuka Tateoka Biniam Kebede Masakazu Shinohara Hiroki Nakanishi Itsuko Fukuda Yasuhito Shirai |
| author_facet | Shuji Ueda Yuka Yoshida Yuka Tateoka Biniam Kebede Masakazu Shinohara Hiroki Nakanishi Itsuko Fukuda Yasuhito Shirai |
| author_sort | Shuji Ueda |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background:</b> Japanese Black beef is known for its high intramuscular fat content, an important factor in its distinctive Wagyu aroma. Wet aging, which involves vacuum-packing meat and storing it at low temperatures, enhances flavor, texture, and tenderness and is essential for maintaining and improving meat quality. In this study, changes in metabolites and lipid profiles were investigated during the wet aging of Japanese Black and Holstein beef. <b>Methods/Results:</b> Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified 113 metabolites in Japanese Black beef and 94 in Holstein beef, with significant increases in metabolites like aspartic acid and maleic acid over the aging period. Regarding lipid composition, total free fatty acids significantly increased with wet aging, with Japanese Black beef showing significantly higher concentrations of oleic and linoleic acids than Holstein beef. Additionally, lipid analysis by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed a reduction in specific phospholipids, particularly lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), with notable decreases in LPC (18:1), LPC (18:2), LPE (18:1), and LPE (18:2). <b>Conclusions:</b> These results suggest that wet aging influences the stability of membrane lipids, facilitating the degradation of phospholipids into free fatty acids, and improving the flavor of Japanese Black beef. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-085e35dfdae14daf9ad034d922374bf4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2218-1989 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| spelling | doaj-art-085e35dfdae14daf9ad034d922374bf42025-08-20T03:12:05ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892025-02-011529410.3390/metabo15020094Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet AgingShuji Ueda0Yuka Yoshida1Yuka Tateoka2Biniam Kebede3Masakazu Shinohara4Hiroki Nakanishi5Itsuko Fukuda6Yasuhito Shirai7Department of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, JapanJapan Meat Science and Technology Institute, Inc., Tokyo 150-0013, JapanDepartment of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, JapanDepartment of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, CanadaThe Integrated Center for Mass Spectrometry, Kobe University, Kobe 650-0017, JapanLipidome Lab Co., Ltd., Akita 010-0825, JapanDepartment of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, JapanDepartment of Agrobioscience, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Kobe University, Kobe 657-8501, Japan<b>Background:</b> Japanese Black beef is known for its high intramuscular fat content, an important factor in its distinctive Wagyu aroma. Wet aging, which involves vacuum-packing meat and storing it at low temperatures, enhances flavor, texture, and tenderness and is essential for maintaining and improving meat quality. In this study, changes in metabolites and lipid profiles were investigated during the wet aging of Japanese Black and Holstein beef. <b>Methods/Results:</b> Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry identified 113 metabolites in Japanese Black beef and 94 in Holstein beef, with significant increases in metabolites like aspartic acid and maleic acid over the aging period. Regarding lipid composition, total free fatty acids significantly increased with wet aging, with Japanese Black beef showing significantly higher concentrations of oleic and linoleic acids than Holstein beef. Additionally, lipid analysis by liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry revealed a reduction in specific phospholipids, particularly lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), with notable decreases in LPC (18:1), LPC (18:2), LPE (18:1), and LPE (18:2). <b>Conclusions:</b> These results suggest that wet aging influences the stability of membrane lipids, facilitating the degradation of phospholipids into free fatty acids, and improving the flavor of Japanese Black beef.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/2/94Japanese Blackwet agingphospholipidsflavorbeeffree fatty acids |
| spellingShingle | Shuji Ueda Yuka Yoshida Yuka Tateoka Biniam Kebede Masakazu Shinohara Hiroki Nakanishi Itsuko Fukuda Yasuhito Shirai Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging Metabolites Japanese Black wet aging phospholipids flavor beef free fatty acids |
| title | Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging |
| title_full | Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging |
| title_fullStr | Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging |
| title_short | Metabolites and Free Fatty Acids in Japanese Black Beef During Wet Aging |
| title_sort | metabolites and free fatty acids in japanese black beef during wet aging |
| topic | Japanese Black wet aging phospholipids flavor beef free fatty acids |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/15/2/94 |
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