Effects of Diets Containing Extruded Linseed and <i>Padina pavonica</i> Algae on Meat Rabbit: Carcass Performance and Meat Quality

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed (ELS) and <i>Padina pavonica</i> algae extract (PP) on rabbit carcass and meat quality. Ninety-six rabbit carcasses from two production cycles were analyzed. In the first cycle (C1), rabbits were fed a c...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nour Elhouda Fehri, Michela Contò, Marta Castrica, Alda Quattrone, Gianluca Renzi, Sabrina Di Giovanni, Stella Agradi, Daniele Vigo, Gabriele Brecchia, Laura Menchetti, Claudia Maria Balzaretti, Doriana Beqiraj, Egon Andoni, Giulio Curone, Sebastiana Failla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Foods
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/2/274
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with extruded linseed (ELS) and <i>Padina pavonica</i> algae extract (PP) on rabbit carcass and meat quality. Ninety-six rabbit carcasses from two production cycles were analyzed. In the first cycle (C1), rabbits were fed a control diet (1CNT), the same diet supplemented with 5% ELS (1ELS5%), and supplemented with 3.5% ELS and 0.2% PP (1LPP3.5%). In the second cycle (C2), the diets varied in composition and supplementation levels: a different control diet (2CNT), the same diet with 5% ELS (2ELS5%), and with 5% ELS and 0.2% PP (2LPP5%). Meat analyses were performed on <i>Longissimus thoracis</i> et <i>lumborum</i> (LTL) muscle for physical properties and on thigh meat (THM) for proximate composition, vitamin E, coenzyme-Q10, cholesterol, fatty acid profile, and mineral content. No significant differences in LTL physical quality were observed in C1, although LTL was brighter in C2 (<i>p</i> < 0.001). THM in C2 had higher fat content (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Dietary supplementation with ELS and PP extract significantly increased polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) and improved the n-6/n-3 ratio (<i>p</i> < 0.001) in rabbit meat, demonstrating their positive impact on meat quality.
ISSN:2304-8158