Recently, Gansu Agricultural University has made new progress in the research on flavor identification of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb, establishing for the first time a flavor identification method that combines biochemical markers with chemometrics. This research achievement not only provides a scientific basis for the precise identification of the flavor characteristics of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb but also lays the foundation for the high-value development of this local specialty agricultural product, becoming a key lead in deciphering the "unique flavor code" of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb.
Dongxiang Tribute Lamb is an animal resource from Dongxiang Autonomous County in Linxia Prefecture, produced in the transitional zone between the Loess Plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 1735-2664 meters. The local unique plateau climate, natural pastures abundant with wild onions, thyme, capillary wormwood, and Chinese thorowax root, coupled with nourishment from weakly alkaline mountain spring water, endow Dongxiang Tribute Lamb with a natural "deodorized" trait, resulting in tender and aromatic meat. As early as ancient times, there was a tribute system of "eighty-seven tribute soup sheep," where it was offered to the royal family as a tribute, hence the name "Tribute Lamb." Today, it represents the highest form of hospitality for the Dongxiang people and supports a county-level mutton sheep industry valued at tens of billions.
In recent years, Dongxiang Autonomous County has continuously expanded the Tribute Lamb industry through measures such as improving the breeding system for fine varieties and implementing subsidies for large-scale farming. In 2025, the total revenue from the county's sheep industry reached 4.52 billion yuan, with the slaughter volume accounting for over 60% of the total in Linxia Prefecture. As the industry scales up, precisely analyzing its unique flavor and providing a scientific basis for quality control have become key to industrial upgrading, which was the core初衷 of Gansu Agricultural University's research.
To address this challenge, the Gansu Agricultural University research team conducted a systematic study on the flavor characteristics of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb, focusing on comparing the meat quality traits, volatile compounds, and their precursor substances (fatty acids and free amino acids) of its supraspinatus muscle (SM), longissimus dorsi muscle (LD), and biceps femoris muscle (BF). The research results showed significant differences in the content of flavor-related substances in different muscle parts of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb. Specifically, the supraspinatus muscle had a higher content of unsaturated fatty acids (such as C18:2n6c and C20:3n3) and was rich in amino acids like lysine and glutamine that enhance flavor.
To accurately identify volatile flavor compounds, the team used headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) and successfully identified 45 key volatile compounds in the three types of muscle. Building on this, the researchers constructed a "precursor-volatile compound" correlation model using multivariate statistical methods, further revealing the core mechanism of flavor formation. The results indicated that specific fatty acids like C18:1n9c and C20:3n3, as well as amino acids like histidine and lysine, are closely related to the generation of key odorants.
Based on this discovery, the team proposed a candidate marker combination including Thr, Val, C18:3n3, C20:3n6, 1-heptanol, and (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienal, which can accurately identify and distinguish the flavor differences among different parts of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb. Notably, this study is the first to combine biochemical markers with chemometrics, establishing a novel flavor identification method for Dongxiang Tribute Lamb meat. This breakthrough not only provides a scientific basis for precisely identifying the flavor characteristics of Dongxiang Tribute Lamb but also offers technical support for its graded processing and the development of specialty products, helping to realize higher value for this local specialty agricultural product.
It is reported that this research received funding from the Gansu Province Seed Industry Research Project (ZYGG-2025-1/ZYGG-2026-4) and the Gansu Agricultural University Key Discipline Team (GAU-XKTD-2022-20).