The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region ranks first among the five major pastoral areas in terms of lamb breeding of China. The Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has a vast territory, with many famous grasslands and thousands of forage plants and multiple local high-quality lamb breeds. After hundreds of years of artificial breeding and improvement, Mongolian sheep have developed many varieties. Different diets, feeding and treatment methods have effects on the production performance, lipid deposition and flavor composition of mutton sheep. Therefore, understanding the relationship among Inner Mongolian lamb, meat quality, and flavor will improve the production of high-quality mutton. The regulation of meat quality and flavor will have a profound impact on the deep processing and income-generating capabilities of mutton. Non-genetic factors affect the quality and flavor of mutton, which are more intuitive than genetic factors. In this review, we cover the contributions made by scientists to explore and improve the quality and flavor of Inner Mongolia lambs through non-genetic means, compare the differences between grazing and drylot-feeding in detail, and summarize some feed additives. We hope that based on our review, we can provide some inspiration to improve the meat quality of Mongolian sheep.

In this study, a novel neutral non-starch polysaccharide (GP1A) was extracted using hot water from ginseng roots. Chemical characteristics, monosaccharide compositions and structure of GP1A were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray diffraction,...

Based on ancient records of “Marching tea” and the flavonoid-rich properties of Lespedeza juncea, this study optimized green tea processing parameters for Lespedeza juncea tea. By adjusting leaf loading, roasting temperature, and time and employing precise methods such as gas chromatography–olfactory–mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS), liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS), and electronic tongues to determine key indicators, including metabolites, volatile compounds, and flavor profiles, the optimal processing conditions were determined through comprehensive analysis as 150 g, 200 °C, and 180 s. These conditions resulted in superior sensory quality (score: 90.9), the highest flavonoid content (4.11%), strong antioxidant activity (DPPH: 66.0% at 20 mg/mL; ABTS: >95% at 2.5 mg/mL), and key aroma compounds 1-octen-3-ol and β-ionone. This work revives an ancient tea tradition and provides a scientific basis for developing novel functional teas from grassland resources.

Introduction: This study investigated the effects of varying doses of Callicarpa nudiflora water extract (CW) on in vitro rumen fermentation and sheep microbial activity.Methods: Four rumen-cannulated hybrid sheep were selected to provide mixed rumen fluid, and the powder substrate remained consistent with the diet fed to the sheep. A total of 14 supplementation levels (0–25 g/kg fresh substrate) of CW were designed based on a completely randomized design, including 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 20 and 25 g/kg. Each treatment was replicated in duplicate across three independent batches, resulting in a total of six biological replicates per treatment. The flasks were incubated at 39°C for 24 hours in water with a rotation speed of 80 r/min.Results: It showed that adding CW significantly affected in vitro rumen fermentation in sheep and displayed a biphasic action: The supplementation levels of 4 g/kg and 6 g/kg showed an improvement in the fermentation status and nitrogen utilization efficiency with the enhanced microbial protein concentration from 1.98 mg/mL (Con) to 2.84 mg/mL (P < 0.001) and the relative abundance of total bacteria from 4.05 (Con) to 5.27 (P < 0.001); When the dose surpassed 14g/kg, the decline in the hemicellulose degradation rate from 63.00% (Con) to 40.24% (P < 0.001), accompanied by an increase in ammonia-nitrogen (NH₃−N) concentration from 173.37 mg/L (Con) to 177.46 mg/L (P = 0.020) and total gas production from 154.87 mL/g (Con) to 161.47 mL/g (P =0.007), signaled abnormal alterations in the fermentation process.Conclusions: The optimal supplementation range in feed formulations was established as 4−6g/kg, showing that CW could serve as a natural rumen modulator for sheep.

This study investigated the distinct effects of Lentilactobacillus buchneri (LB) and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) inoculants on the fermentation characteristics and bacterial community succession of Leymus chinensis silage. Treatments included distilled water (CON), LB, and LP, applied at a concentration of 1 × 10 ⁶ cfu/g of fresh matter (FM). Compared with the CON group, the fermentation quality was improved by the inoculations, the markedly ( p < 0.05) lower pH and NH ₃ –N were found in the LB and LP treatments. The significantly ( p < 0.05) highest LA and AA contents were detected in the LP and LB treatments, respectively. The bacterial diversity, reflected by Shannon and Chao1 indices, decreased throughout the ensiling process, with the LP group exhibiting the most pronounced reduction. Furthermore, beta‐diversity analysis revealed distinct microbial community structures among the treatments. While fresh L. chinensis was dominated by Proteobacteria (48.03%), Firmicutes (26.23%), and Actinobacteriota (23.72%), the microbiome shifted dramatically after 60 days of ensiling to be predominantly Firmicutes (94.96%–99.79%), the genus Rhodococcus , Microbacterium , Enterococcus and Leuconostoc , Weissella , and Enterococcus were markedly ( p < 0.05) enriched in the CK treatment during fermentation from 3 to 14 days, while from 30 days, the genus Lactobacillus as the dominant genus, especially in the LB and LP treatments. In conclusion, both additives facilitate L. chinensis ensiling by regulating the microbiome, yet L. plantarum demonstrates superior efficacy in optimizing fermentation quality.