Effects of mutton with different cooking methods on intestinal flora and metabolites in the elderly based on in vitro fermentation.

With the aging of the population, the elderly health has been a major concern. Meat products are one of the most important sources of nutrient intake for the elderly, and it is crucial to maintain their intestinal flora balance through dietary protein. However, there were few studies on how various cooking methods affected the digestive quality of meat proteins in the intestinal flora domain. The effect of meat consumption on the colonic intestinal flora of the elderly is unclear. In this study, we performed in vitro colonic fermentation of mutton after five common cooking methods, which were steaming (ST), boiling (BO), frying (FR), roasting (RO) and hotpot (HP). Furthermore, the characterization of the intestinal flora was detected by 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing and untargeted metabolomics. 16S rDNA results revealed that proteobacteria abundance increased in FR and RO groups, while bacteroidota abundance increased and firmicutes abundance decreased in BO group significantly (p < 0.05). Untargeted metabolomics indicated that RO upregulated phenylcyclic compounds and organic heterocyclic compounds. Thus, BO positively modulated intestinal health in the elderly, whereas FR and RO had negative effects. The objective of this study was to offer valuable guidance for preparing mutton at home and to offer recommendations for a nutritious meat diet for the elderly.