Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation of Feed on Growth, Carcass Yield, Meat and Fatty Acids Profile of Rabbit Carcass
Effect of Flaxseed Supplementation of Feed on Growth, Carcass Yield, Meat and Fatty Acids Profile of Rabbit Carcass
Kamran Khan1, Sarzamin Khan2, Nazir Ahmad Khan2,* and Naseer Ahmad2
ABSTRACT
The aim of this study was to quantify the effect of two concentrations and technological forms of flaxseed supplementation on growth performance, carcass yield and meat quality of rabbits. Sixty indigenous rabbits were divided randomly into five treatment groups. The control group was fed on standard concentrate basal diet, whereas in the treated groups, the basal diet was supplemented with low (3.5%; LCF) or high (7%; HCF) level of crushed flaxseed and low (1.5%; LFO) or high (3%; HFO) level of flaxseed oil until slaughtering (day 90). Carcass fat deposition was greater (P < 0.05) in the supplemented groups as compared to the control group. The contents of myristic acid and palmitic acid reduced (P ˂ 0.05), while those of linoleic acid and linolenic acid increased (P ˂ 0.05) in the carcass of all supplemented groups. Moreover, the supplemented groups had lower (P ˂ 0.05) n-6:n-3 ratio than the control group. Among the supplemented groups, HFO supplemented group had higher (P ˂ 0.05) contents of total polyunsaturated FA and lower (P ˂ 0.05) n-6:n-3 ratio. This study provides the first dataset on carcass yield and quality, physicochemical characteristics, and FA profile of indigenous rabbits and shows that supplementation of flaxseed favorably modulates the FAs composition of rabbit meat, with no negative effect on their growth performance and meat physicochemical quality.
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December 2018
Vol. 50, Iss. 6, Pages 1999-2398
