The role of lactate in meat beyond pH regulation: A study on lactylation and its effects on meat metabolism

Lactate is generally regarded as the product of glycolysis, which accumulates in postmortem muscle, but its role in protein regulation through lactylation remains unknown in meat science field. This study investigated the effects of lactylation in metabolic regulation of postmortem muscle to explore the functional roles of lactate in meat. Different doses of lactate were added to muscle homogenates to obtain high, medium and low lactate contents samples. The results demonstrated that elevated lactate concentrations enhanced protein lactylation levels. Key glycolytic Enzymes exhibited varied responses to lactate treatment, while the Caspase 3 activity was notably decreased. Furthermore, potential lactylation-modified proteins were identified, indicating that lactate may influence muscle contraction, energy metabolism, and cell death processes. This study provided preliminary evidence of regulatory effects of protein lactylation on meat metabolism, expanding the understanding of functions of lactate in meat.

Apoptosis; Glycolysis; Metabolic regulation; Post-translational modifications.