Analysis of the Differences in Composition and Quality of Geographical Indication Mutton from Two Regions in Xinjiang

To clarify the quality characteristics of sheep breeds in different regions of Xinjiang, taking Kazakh sheep from Northern and Lop sheep from Southern Xinjiang, after slaughter, the longest muscles of the back were selected and their edible quality, basic nutrients, minerals, amino acid composition and metabolites were analyzed. The results showed that both types of lamb pH were 5.56~5.89, the color difference was not significant (P>0.05), but the Kazakh lamb color was more bright red. The shear and cooking losses of Lop sheep were significantly lower than that of Kazakh sheep (PPPP<0.05) involving arginine biosynthesis and its associated metabolic pathways. Alanglycine, taurine and ethanolamine showed very high species identification performance, with an area up to 1.00 under the ROC curve. This study provides new insights into the relationship between amino acid metabolism and meat properties, and provides important reference for the management and quality improvement of meat sheep in Xinjiang.