Fatty Acid Composition of Meat from Rabbits Fed Diets with High Levels of Fat

Abstract

The effects of high levels of dietary fat on the chemical and fatty acid composition of total, nonpolar, and polar lipids of rabbit meat have been studied. Four diets were used: control diet without added fat and three diets containing 3% (w/w) beef tallow, 3% soya and sunflower oleins, or 3% soya-bean oil. In order to increase dietary ether extract by 3%, these three experimental diets also contained 18% of heated whole soya-bean meal. Significant differences (P < 0.05) in the rabbit meat chemical composition were observed only between meat from rabbits fed control diet and rabbits fed the soya-bean oil plus whole soya-bean meal diet. However, the diet did influence total, nonpolar, and polar lipid fatty acid composition of the meat; C-18:1 and polyunsaturated fatty acids were the most affected. It was concluded that the enrichment of the rabbit diet with these specific fats produces rabbit meat with a higher degree of unsaturation than those obtained with conventional diets.