Fatty acid profile of meat of seasonally fed slow-growing rabbits

The study aimed at determining fatty acid (FA) profiles of meat of seasonally fed slow-growing rabbits in relation to lipid composition of feeds and their intake. In each season, 21 weaned male rabbits (Popielno White breed) were assigned into two homogenous groups: the control (C, n=7) and seasonally fed -summer (S, n=14) or winter (W, n=14). Meat lipid, MUFA and PUFA contents were significantly higher in the S and C groups, most likely due to a higher lipid intake, while S-rabbits had two-fold higher n-3 PUFA contents than C-rabbits. This resulted in a better thrombogenic index in S-rather than in C-rabbits, similarly as it was the case for the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (H/H) ratio. In relation to the other groups myristic and palmitic acid contents in meat were greater in W-rabbits due to a higher SFA intake. As compared with the C diet, seasonal diets were associated with a higher proportion of n-3 PUFA in meat. This resulted in an improvement of the n-6/n-3 ratio (3.62 on average) in meat from seasonally fed rabbits. Both seasonal diets also increased the content of odd-numbered and branched-chain acids (OBCFA; twofold greater than in the C group). S-rabbits had greater daily body mass gains and were heavier than the W-rabbits. The content of palmitooleic acid (C16:1 n-7) in meat was high irrespective of the diet. Feeding strategies associated with outdoor rearing, adopted in small farms, favour local rabbit populations. Thus, it is recommended to promote native, slow-growing rabbit breeds, a source of valuable nutrients.