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. 2025 May 16;14(10):1778.
doi: 10.3390/foods14101778.

Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality in Rabbits Fed with Two Different Percentages of Extruded Linseed

Imen Daboussi  1 , Nour Elhouda Fehri  2 , Michela Contò  3 , Marta Castrica  4 , Safa Bejaoui  5 , Alda Quattrone  2 , Mohamed Amine Ferchichi  5 , Marouen Amraoui  5 , Souha Tibaoui  5 , Giulio Curone  2 , Daniele Vigo  2 , Laura Menchetti  6 , Alessandro Dal Bosco  7 , Egon Andoni  8 , Gabriele Brecchia  2 , Sebastiana Failla  3 , Bayrem Jemmali  5
Affiliations

Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality in Rabbits Fed with Two Different Percentages of Extruded Linseed

Imen Daboussi et al. Foods. .

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect of two levels of extruded linseed (EL) in the diet on growth performance, carcass yield, and meat quality of growing rabbits. Sixty-nine New Zealand White male rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were assigned after weaning to three dietary groups: control (C), 2.5% EL (L2.5%), and 5% EL (L5%). At the end of the fattening period (from 37 to 93 days of age), rabbits were slaughtered. EL supplementation significantly reduced average daily weight gain (ADG) in the L5% group (p < 0.05), while other performance parameters were not significantly affected. Meat from the L5% group exhibited a higher fat content (p < 0.001) and lower water-holding capacity (p < 0.05) compared to the others. The fatty acid profile showed a significant increase in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and a decrease in n-6 PUFA (p < 0.05), resulting in a markedly reduced n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.001) in supplemented groups. EL supplementation also enhanced long-chain n-3 PUFA levels, particularly docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). Although lipid oxidation was slightly increased (p < 0.05), sensory attributes remained unaffected. These findings support EL supplementation as a nutritional strategy to increase the n-3 fatty acids in rabbit meat without compromising physical and sensory quality.

Keywords: New Zealand white rabbit; carcass traits; extruded linseed; fatty acid profile; growth performance; lipid oxidation; meat quality; n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; sensory attributes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Rabbits’ body weight evolution during fattening period in control group (C), group supplemented with 2.5% of extruded linseed (L2.5%), and group supplemented with 5% of EL (L5%).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Composition of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), including long-chain n-3 LC-PUFA, α linolenic acid (18:3 n-3, ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3, EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (22:5 n-3, DPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3, DHA), expressed as mg per 100 g of minced rabbit meat from animals fed different diets. C = control group; L2.5% = group supplemented with 2.5% EL; L5% = group supplemented with 5% EL. Different superscript letters on the histograms for the same fatty acid indicate significant differences (p < 0.05), and ns = not significant for p > 0.05.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Organoleptic characteristics of rabbit meat fed with different diets. C = control group; L2.5% = group supplemented with 2.5% EL; L5% = group supplemented with 5% EL.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Plot of loading and scores from Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the main qualitative parameters of rabbit meat fed with different diets. C = control group; L2.5% = group supplemented with 2.5% EL; L5% = group supplemented with 5% EL.
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