Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Muscle Fatty Acids, Intramuscular Fat, Cholesterol, and Antioxidant Status in Rabbits Supplemented with Kigelia pinnata Leaf Meal

The effects of dietary Kigelia pinnata leaf (KPL) on growth, carcass, muscle fatty acids, antioxidant status, cholesterol, physicochemical properties, and sensory profile of Longissimus thoracis et lumburum (LTL) muscle in rabbits are investigated. Seventy-two, 32 d old male New Zealand rabbits (684 +/- 18 g) are randomly assigned to diets containing either no KPL (KPL-0), 5% KPL (KPL-5) or 10% KPL (KPL-10) for eight weeks, and euthanized, and the LTL is refrigerated for 6 days. Dietary KPL does not influence growth performance and carcass cuts in rabbits. Abdominal fat is lower in KPL- rabbits than in the KPL-0 rabbits. Supplemented LTL has lower intramuscular fat and cholesterol, and higher crude protein, polyphenol content, glutathione reductase, and catalase compared with the control LTL. Concentration of C18:3n-3, C22:6n-3, and C20:5n-3 is higher in supplemented LTL than the control LTL. Supplemented meat has lower cook loss than the KPL-0 meat at 24 h postmortem. The KPL-10 meat has higher redness and lower malondialdehyde content than other meats on d 6 postmortem. Juiciness and overall acceptance of the supplemented meat are higher than that of the KPL-0 meat. Supplementation with KPL-10 enhances muscle n-3 fatty acids, sensorial quality, and oxidative stability of rabbit meat.