Optimal temperature for culturing chicken satellite cells to enhance production yield and umami intensity of cultured meat

Abstract

To investigate the optimal temperature at which to culture chicken muscle satellite cells (MSCs), to improve the production yield and umami intensity of cultured meat, chicken MSCs were cultured at 37, 39, 41, and 43 °C. The most active proliferation and greatest differentiation of MSCs was observed at 41 °C. A significantly shorter doubling time of MSCs and higher area percentage of differentiated myotubes and myofibers were observed at a culture temperature of 41 °C (p < 0.05). Consequently, the total amino acid content and free glutamic acid in cultured muscle tissue (CMT) at 41 °C was significantly higher than at other temperatures (p < 0.05). In addition, the umami and richness intensity of CMT was significantly higher at 41 °C than at other culture temperatures (p < 0.05). Results suggest that chicken MSCs proliferated more actively and differentiated optimally at 41 °C, resulting in a higher amino acid content and umami intensity of CMT.