This study investigated the effects of adding Allium mongolicum Regel flavonoids (AMRF) to the diet on meat quality characteristics of male Saanen kids during post-mortem aging. Eighteen healthy, 3-month-old male dairy goat kids of similar body mass were randomly assigned to a control group (CON) and an AMRF group (2.8 g/(d·kid) of AMRF). The feeding period lasted 139 days, comprising 15 days preliminary period and 124 days experimental period. After completion of the feeding period, longissimus dorsi samples were collected at slaughter, aged at 4 ℃, and measured for physicochemical indicators, textural properties, conventional nutritional components, fatty acid composition, antioxidant capacity, muscle fiber characteristics, ultrastructure, and water mobility after 1, 2 and 3 days. The results showed that during the aging process, the AMRF group exhibited significantly increased redness values and cooked yield compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the AMRF group significantly increased with aging time (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, brightness, yellowness, shear force, and cooking loss significantly dropped (P < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase, and catalase activities significantly increased (P < 0.05), while malondialdehyde content decreased (P < 0.05). Myofibrillar structure remained intact, Z-line degradation was delayed, and the recovery capacity of sarcomere length was enhanced. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) revealed superior water-holding capacity in the AMRF group compared with the CON group, with a higher proportion of free water. In summary, dietary supplementation of AMRF effectively enhanced the eating quality and storage characteristics of aged lamb through multiple mechanisms, including enhancing antioxidant capacity, regulating muscle fiber type conversion, improving protein and lipid stability, and optimizing water distribution.

As a major global producer and consumer of beef and lamb, China’s beef and lamb industry holds a central position in securing meat supply to its population. However, it currently faces challenges such as intensified international competition, high production costs, and rising quality demands; thus, improving meat quality has become a key issue for the industry’s development. Nutritional factors are central to regulating meat quality, and polyphenolic compounds, as natural bioactive substances, have remarkable potential in enhancing the sensory characteristics and nutritional value of beef and lamb. This article reviews the effects and mechanisms of plant-derived polyphenolic compounds on the meat quality of ruminants, focusing on key quality indicators such as color, pH, tenderness, flavor, and water-holding capacity. This review aims to provide a theoretical reference for understanding the mechanism by which polyphenolic compounds regulate meat quality, thereby contributing to the high-quality and efficient development of the beef and lamb industry.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary addition of Allium mongolicum Regel powder (AMRP) and aging time on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant capacity of Angus beef. In this experiment, 24 healthy Angus cattle at (14 ± 2) months of age with similar body mass of (271.17 ± 17.6) kg were randomly divided into a control group and three experiment groups. The control group was fed a basal diet, and the experimental groups, LAMR, MAMR and HAMR, were fed a basal diet supplemented daily with 10, 15 and 20 g of AMRP per animal, respectively. The experimental period lasted for 135 days. The results showed that adding AMRP at different gradients to the diet improved the color of beef. With increasing aging time, the shear force first decreased and then leveled off on the third day (P > 0.05). Adding AMRP to the diet had no significant effect on the texture characteristics (P > 0.05). With increasing aging time, the springiness first increased (days 1 to 5) (P < 0.05), then reached a plateau (days 5 to 7) (P > 0.05), and finally decreased significantly (days 7 to 9) (P < 0.05). Adding 15 g/d of AMRP to the diet increased intramuscular fat deposition, and with the increase in aging time, the content of intramuscular fat gradually increased (P < 0.05). Adding 10 g/d of AMRP to the diet improved the activity of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD). In contrast, adding 20 g/d of AMRP to the diet improved the content of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA). AMRP improved the antioxidant capacity of beef with aging time, especially on the 5th day. Compared with the control group, the acid value of the LAMR group significantly increased (P < 0.01). During the whole aging period, the acid value first decreased and then tended to be stable, and the peroxidase activity decreased significantly (P < 0.01).

Twenty-four Angus cattle were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6). The control group was fed a basal diet, while the experimental groups, LAMR, MAMR, and HAMR, were fed a basal diet supplemented with Allium mongolicum Regel at 10, 15, 20 g per head per day, respectively. The feeding period lasted for 135 days. After completion of the feeding period, the cattle were slaughtered, and samples of the longissimus lumborum muscle were collected for the analysis of meat quality (pH, shear force, color, and textural properties) and fatty acid composition. Additionally, antioxidant capacity, lipid and protein oxidation, and fatty acid nutritional indicators (atherosclerosis index (AI), thrombosis index, hyper/hypo cholesterol ratio, and peroxidation index) were evaluated. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the three experimental groups had significantly lower pH, shear force, and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents (P < 0.05). The LAMR and MAMR groups exhibited significantly lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) content and significantly increased levels of total-antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content, and peroxidisability index (PI) (P < 0.05). The MAMR group showed a significant decrease in atherogenicity value (AV) and AI (P < 0.05). During the cold storage period, the pH, shear force, elasticity, and antioxidant capacity of beef initially increased and subsequently decreased, reaching a peak on the 5th day of cold storage before stabilizing or continuing to decrease. In summary, dietary supplementation with A. mongolicum Regel can reduce the pH and shear force, improve the color, delay textural changes during cold storage, enhance the antioxidant capacity, extend the shelf life, and optimize the fatty acid composition of beef, particularly reducing SFA levels and increasing the levels of PUFA and n-3 fatty acids.