Unraveling the Relationship Between Lipids and Volatile Organic Compounds in Longissimus Dorsi of Chuanbai Rex and New Zealand White Rabbits

Chuanbai Rex (CR) and New Zealand white (NZ) rabbits are highly popular and widely produced for meat consumption in Sichuan, China. But comparative studies on nutritional and sensory qualities of meat from two breeds are still lacking. This study integrated lipidomic and volatilomic approaches to elucidate the breed-specific differences in the <i>longissimus dorsi</i> between CR and NZ (n = 5 per breed). Analysis of fatty acid composition revealed that CR had lower content of PUFA but with a more balanced n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio compared to NZ. LC-MS-based lipidomics identified 52 significantly different lipids between the two breeds, and CR had higher levels of phospholipids and sphingolipids, while NZ was richer in triglycerides and diglycerides. SPME-GC-MS analysis identified a total of 140 VOCs, including primarily aldehydes (>50%), alcohols (<20%), and hydrocarbons (<15%). CR contained unique aroma compounds such as acetoin and 2-(E)-heptenal, while NZ had more of nonanal and pentadecane. Pearson correlation analysis performed between differential lipid metabolites and characteristic VOCs showed that 22 lipid biomarkers were significantly correlated with seven key VOCs, suggesting breed-distinct pattern for flavor formation. Albeit a small sample size, this study provides preliminary insights into biochemical mechanisms determining rabbit meat quality and offers a scientific basis for developing premium rabbit meat products tailored to consumer preferences.