Fuente: PubMed "meat" Meat Sci. 2026 May 27;239:110131. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2026.110131. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTTo elucidate variations in meat quality of rabbits at different developmental stages, we investigated phenotypic traits, metabolites, and gene expression profiles in the longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle at three ages (M1, M3, and M5). Carcass evaluation revealed the period from 1 to 3 months (M1-M3) constitutes the rapid growth phase, and both full-eviscerated and semi-eviscerated dressing percentages tended to stabilize after M3. Rabbits in group M1 showed significantly higher cooking loss, pH after 24 h (pH 24), lightness (L*), and yellowness (b*) (P < 0.01) and significantly lower shear force (P < 0.05) compared with those in the M3 and M5 groups. LC-MS/MS profiling of rabbits in the M1, M3, and M5 groups identified dynamic fluctuations in critical metabolites, including amino acid derivatives (anserine, aspartic acid, L-Glutamic acid, small peptides), glycerophospholipids (LPE, LPA), and energy regulators (oxaloacetate, fumaric acid), collectively modulating related key attributes of meat quality including tenderness, flavor, and oxidative stability. Integrated analyses identified correlations involving key factors such as oxaloacetic acid, betaine and some peptides, which were correlated with genes including PCK2, MYO10, and ANKRD44, indicating synergistic effects on meat quality. These findings offer insights into the assessment and regulatory mechanisms of rabbit meat quality.PMID:42217265 | DOI:10.1016/j.meatsci.2026.110131