Meat quality of rabbits fed a diet supplemented with fish oil and antioxidant*

The aim of the study was to determine the relative percentage of individual fatty acids and cholesterol content in the muscles of the rabbit hind leg as well as to estimate the efficiency of transfer of fatty acids from feed to tissue as affected by supplementation the diet with fish oil and vitamin E. Three groups of New Zealand White rabbits were used (one control and two experimental) with 40 animals per group. The animals of group I (control) were fed complete standard pelleted diet, of group II – control diet supplemented with 3% fish oil and those of group III – control diet with 3% fish oil and vitamin E. The content of the latter was increased by 100% as related to control (i.e. with 50 mg for 100 mg control diet). Fish oil introduced into rabbit diet had a beneficial effect on the composition of lipid fraction of meat. Relative share of n-3 PUFA increased and the decrease in the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio occurred, both being beneficial from the dietetic point of view. A reduction (P≤0.05) of cholesterol content was shown in meat of animals from groups II and III. Fish oil made the fat of freeze-stored (-8°C for 14 or 90 days) meat slightly more susceptible to oxidation, but the vitamin E supplement prevented from that process. The study confirmed that it is beneficial to add dietary antioxidants to rabbit feed containing fats rich in UFA. The fish oil supplement had a beneficial effect on reducing carcass fatness and improving the juiciness and tenderness of rabbit meat.