Effect of the Dietary N-3 and N-6 Fatty Acids on Rabbit Carcass and Meat Quality

Three groups of rabbits from the same genetic type were fed respectively with three experimental diets supplemented with 100 ppm of α-tocopherol and including a 3% of added fat: animal fat (A), sunflower oil (SF) or linseed oil (L). Fifty-two rabbits per group were used. Animals were slaughtered at 63 days of age. Live weight, dressing out percentage and carcass and meat quality traits were measured. A Bayesian analysis was performed. Animals fed with diet A showed higher live weight and higher carcass weight than animals fed with diets SF and L. SF and L animals had 96% and 95% of the LW that A group showed. The reference carcass in SF and L animals was 96% as heavy as in A animals. No differences were found between the SF and L animals for these traits; however, some differences appeared for dressing out percentage (DoP), having L animals higher DoP than SF (1% higher values). L animals also showed higher DoP than A animals, but the evidence of the differences was lower (P>1=0.93). Nevertheless, the effect of dietary fat on these traits was small even if its presence can be detected. Animals fed with a diet enriched with animal fat showed higher lumbar circumference (around +3%), liver weight and carcass and retail cuts weights than animals fed with diets SF and L. No differences between SF and L animals were found for the main carcass traits except for meat to bone ratio (M/B). SF and A had higher M/B than L animals (5 and 3.4%, respectively). No diet effect was found for carcass fatness among the three groups of animals. Meat color was little affected by the diet. The evidence of a diet effect in redness was low. Carcass L* was higher in A than in SF and L animals but differences were small (around 3%). The highest distance between diets appeared for yellowness (b*). L animals showed lower carcass b* values than SF and A animals. Carcasses from SF animals had 78% higher b* values than carcasses from L animals, and carcasses from A animals showed double b* values than carcasses from L animals. Regarding the fat color, fat from SF and L animals had 92% and 93% of the L* values that A group showed, respectively. Fat yellowness was lower in A animals. SF and L had a 27% and 17% higher b* fat values than A (P>1=1). The evidence for the differences in fat b* between SF and L was low. SF had a 16% higher meat b* values than S. Effects on pH and moisture were not relevant. Diets enriched with n-3 and n-6 fatty acids have small effects on rabbit carcass characteristics. However, meat quality traits were not modified by the type of dietary fat.