• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 1977

The present study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional quality of rabbit meat protein. The composition of amino acids contained in rabbit meat was compared with those of other animal meats such as beef, pork and chicken. Also included in this study was the question whether the cooking and storage conditions affect the amino acid composition and the pepsindigestibility of rabbit meat protein. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The large variation observed from sample to sample of EAA (essential amino acid) composition in rabbit meat was found to be an interesting but peculiar property of rabbit meat protein. The most limiting amino acid of rabbit meat protein was phenylalanine, whereas methionine was the first limiting amino acid of both beef and pork proteins. Chemical scores of various meat proteins were 68, 65, 66, and 74 for rabbit meat, beef, pork, and chicken respectively. 2. In pan roasting, the EAA damaged most by heat was methionine (15%). When cooked after two months of frozen storage, lysine decreased most. 3. Higher pepsin digestibility was obtained by cooking rabbit meat after seasoned in alcohol, ginger juice, and other spices compared with various other cooking conditions without seasoning. The pepsin digestibility value was even higher for the seasoned meat than for the raw meat. 4. Among various meats tested the rabbit meat showed the lowest pepsin digestibility. 5. A simple measurement of released methionine could be used to determine relative digestibility instead of measuring $NH_2-N$ content after pepsin digestion. From all the results obtained in this study it can be concluded that rabbit meat is a good Protein food item when used fresh and stored properly to prevent rancidity problems. It is suggested to study further the peroxidation effect of unsaturated fatty acids on protein quality. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Korea.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.197-219
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• 2023

Rabbit meat has high nutritional and dietetic characteristics, but its consumption rate is comparatively lower than other meat types. The nutritional profile of rabbit meat, by comparison with beef, pork, and poultry, is attributed to relatively higher proportions of n-3 fatty acids and low amounts of intramuscular fat, cholesterol, and sodium, indicating its consumption may provide health benefits to consumers. But, the quality attributes of rabbit meat can be originated from different factors such as genetics, environment, diet, rearing system, pre-, peri-, and post-slaughter conditions, and others. Different rabbit breeds and the anatomical location of muscles may also affect the nutritional profile and physicochemical properties of rabbit meat. However, adequate information about the effect of those two factors on rabbit meat is limited. Therefore, cumulative information on nutritional composition and carcass and meat quality attributes of rabbit meat in terms of different breeds and muscle types and associated factors is more important for the production and processing of rabbits. Moreover, some studies reported that rabbit meat proteins exhibited angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory characteristics and antioxidant properties. The aim of this review is to elucidate the determinants of rabbit meat quality of different breeds and its influencing factors. In addition, the proven biological activities of rabbit meat are introduced to ensure consumer satisfaction.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.171-177
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• 2022

This study evaluated the nutritional composition and quality traits of rabbit meat as compared to chicken meat. Samples of loin (M. longissimus dorsi) and breast meats were collected from rabbit and chicken carcasses, respectively. The meats were then analyzed for the proximate composition, collagen and energy contents, fatty acid composition, myoglobin and heme iron contents, pH value, water-holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss, meat color, Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) value, and texture profile. Compared to chicken breast meat, lower (p<0.05) protein content and higher (p<0.05) ash and collagen contents were obtained in rabbit loin meat. Rabbit meat remarkably had higher (p<0.05) total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and linolenic acid contents and lower (p<0.05) n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio as compared to chicken meat. The pH value and WHC were lower (p<0.05) in rabbit meat than in chicken meat (p<0.05). Rabbit meat exhibited lower (p<0.05) L^* value and higher (p<0.05) a^* and b^* values compared to chicken meat (p<0.05). The WBSF value, hardness, and gumminess were higher (p<0.05) in rabbit meat than in chicken meat (p<0.05). These findings suggest that rabbit meat has higher essential n-3 PUFA, darker color, and firmer texture as compared to chicken meat.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.18-26
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• 1977

Among animals, the rabbit is known to be affected most sensitively by dietary changes and to be most susceptible to atherosclerosis. The exact reason is still unknown as to whether the primary cause is intrinsic (tissue itself) or extrinsic such as a blood factor which could be influenced by various dietary means. It is of utmost importance to check the nutritional quality of rabbit meat before it is accepted and adapted as a daily food item. To evaluate nutritional quality of rabbit meat, studies on various aspects of lipid components were carried out in comparison with other animal meats such as beef, pork and chicken also included in the study was the question whether the cooking and storage conditions influence the composition of fatty acids and cholesterol level. Some results and findings are listed below: 1. The content of linoleic acid (18 : 2), one of the essential fatty acids, was much higher in rabbit meat compared to the other meats. The Percentages of this Polyunsaturated fatty acids, was much higher in rabbit meat compared to the other meats. The percentages of this polyunsaturated fatty acid in terms of total fatty acids were $37.3{\pm}3.7$, 5.9, 14.5, and 21.9% for rabbit, beef, pork, and chicken respectively. The degree of unsaturation was high not only in meat but also in liver and adipose tissue of rabbit. The values of iodine number, the indication of degree of unsaturation, were known to be $102{\sim}107$, $32{\sim}47$, $46{\sim}67$, and $55{\sim}77$ for rabbit, beef, pork, and chicken respectively. Such a high proportion of this polyunsaturated fatty acid contained in rabbit meat could be harmful due to their Peroxidation effect. 2. A small amount of lower (short chain) fatty acids was isolated from rabbit tussues, which were not observed in other animal's tissues. The significance of this small amount of short chain fatty acids contained in rabbit meat remained an open question. 3. The concentration of total cholesterol in rabbit meat was similar to that of otherr but the content of esterified cholesterol was higher in rabbit meat. This was probably due to the perference of cholesterol to esterify with unsaturated fatty acids. By roasting the percentage of Polyunsaturated fatty acids was decreased while saturated palmitic acid was proportionally increased. 4 The composition of fatty acids were affected more by dry heat than moist heat. More research should be pursued to improve methods of preservation and storage to prevent possible peroxidation and rancidity problems of rabbit meat. In the meantime, the public should be informed to eat fresh rabbit meat and not to store it for a long period of time. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Korea.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.84-89
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to compare carcass composition and meat quality traits in the longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles in the Hyla, Champagne and Tianfu Black rabbit breeds. Tianfu Black rabbits had the heaviest head, skin, thoracic viscera and commercial carcass percentage (p<0.05). In addition, Tianfu Black had the highest pH_{0 h} value, followed by the Champagne and Hyla breeds (p<0.01) in the longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles. Tianfu Black had a higher a* (0 h and 24 h) than the other two breeds in both longissimus dorsi and biceps femoris muscles (p<0.05). The Hyla, Champagne, and Tianfu Black breeds showed a similar pattern of differences for meat quality traits (pH, L*, a* and b*) measured in fresh meat (0 h) and meat stored for 24 h. Hyla had the highest IMF values of the three breeds (p<0.01). The lower intramuscular fat of Tianfu Black and Champagne rabbits gives them an advantage over Hyla rabbits among most consumers seeking lean rabbit meat.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.719-728
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• 2016

The aim of this study was to explore the volatile compounds of hind leg, foreleg, abdomen and Longissimus dorsi in both male and female Hyla rabbit meat by solid phase microextraction tandem with gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and to seek out the key odorants via calculating the odor activity value and principal component analysis. Cluster analysis is used to study the flavor pattern differences in four edible parts. Sixty three volatile compounds were detected, including 23 aldehydes, 4 alcohols, 5 ketones, 11 esters, 5 aromatics, 8 acids and 7 hydrocarbons. Among them, 6 aldehydes and 3 acids were identified as the potential key odorants according to the ratio of concentration and threshold. The contents of volatile compounds in male Hyla rabbit meat were significantly higher than those in female one (p<0.05). The results of principal component analysis showed that the first two principal component cumulative variance contributions reach 87.69%; Hexanal, octanal, 2-nonenal, 2-decenal and decanal were regard as the key odorants of Hyla rabbit meat by combining odor activity value and principal component analysis. Therefore volatile compounds of rabbit meat can be effectively characterized. Cluster analysis indicated that volatile chemical compounds of Longissimus dorsi were significantly different from other three parts, which provide reliable information for rabbit processing industry and for possible future sale.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.884-891
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• 2022

Objective: Free-range systems have been increasingly available to the consumer due to increased demand for more sustainable meat-products. In the current study, the effect of free-range (FR) and cage system (CS) was explored on growth performance, meat quality and oxidation products in Italian White breed rabbits during the growing-fattening phase (5 to 13 weeks of age). Methods: Forty rabbits were randomly allotted to two treatment groups according to the rearing system, and each treatment group was replicated five times with four subjects in each replicate (20 rabbits per treatment-group). All rabbits fed the same diet as pelleted, and under FR system, no additional feeds were available to animals. Results: Rearing system had significant effect on rabbit growth performance, where CS group resulted in higher final body weight (p<0.045) and gain (p<0.029) and better feed efficiency (p<0.025) compared to FR rabbits. Most carcass traits were not affected by rearing system; however, a reduction of abdominal fat content (p<0.015) and meat lipids (p<0.034) was observed in FR rabbits. Rearing system had no effects on meat fatty acid profile, whereas meat from FR rabbits resulted less susceptible to lipid and protein oxidation compared to caged animals. Conclusion: In overall, FR system could be suggested as a substitute for conventional caged system because of FR system preserved rabbit meat from oxidation.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.40 no.3
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• pp.362-376
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• 2020

Rabbit meat bekasam is a traditional fermentation product from Indonesia. This study aimed to determine the chemical and microbiological characteristics of rabbit meat bekasam during the fermentation process in order to isolate, characterize (in vitro and in vivo), and identify lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as the probiotic candidate. The chemical contents of bekasam on 7-day fermentation were investigated in explorative and experimental methods in a completely randomized design. A proximate analysis reported a decrease in the moisture content, fat and carbohydrate content, and an increase in protein content. Also, lactic acid content was increased from 0.48% to 1.12%, and pH was decreased from 5.3 to 4.3. Other properties indicated different values, such as bacteria (2.75×10⁶ to 4.45×10⁷ CFU/g), total LAB (3.82×10⁶ to 4.67×10⁸ CFU/g), total yeast (9.89×10⁶ to 3.82×10⁸ CFU/g) and total mould (4.34×10¹ to 4.86×10³ CFU/g). The experiment produced nine LAB isolates, including two probiotics subjected to further 16S rRNA gene analysis, which indicated that Lactobacillus buchneri was the potential probiotic isolate. After being tested on BALB/c mice, L. buchneri could improve the immune system by inhibiting the growth of Coliform and Salmonella.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.406-413
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• 2014

A study was conducted to compare the effect of halal slaughter without stunning and gas stun killing followed by bleeding on residual blood content and storage stability of rabbit meat. Eighty male New Zealand white rabbits were divided into two groups of 40 animals each and subjected to either halal slaughter without stunning (HS) or gas stun-kill (GK). The volume of blood lost during exsanguination was measured. Residual blood was further quantified by determination of haemoglobin content in Longissimus lumborum (LL) muscle. Storage stability of the meat was evaluated by microbiological analysis and measuring lipid oxidation in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). HS resulted in significantly higher blood loss than GK. HS had significantly lower residual haemoglobin in LL muscle compared to GK. Slaughter method had no effect on rabbit meat lipid oxidation at 0, 1, and 3 d postmortem. However, at 5 and 8 days of storage at $4^{\circ}C$, significant differences (p<0.05) were found, with meat from the GK group exhibiting significantly higher levels of MDA than that from HS. At day 3, greater growth of Pseudomonas aeroginosa and E. coli were observed in the GK group (p<0.05) with B. thermosphacta and total aerobic counts remained unaffected by slaughter method. At days 5 and 7 postmortem, bacterial counts for all tested microbes were affected by slaughter method, with GK exhibiting significantly higher growth than HS. It can be concluded that slaughter method can affect keeping quality of rabbit meat, and HS may be a favourable option compared to GK due to high bleed out.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.58 no.1
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• pp.3.1-3.6
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• 2016

Background: Uncoupling proteins 2 (UCP2) plays an important role in energy regulation, previous studies suggested that UCP2 is an excellent candidate gene for human obesity and growth-related traits in cattle and chicks. The current study was designed to detect the genetic variation of UCP2 gene, and to explore the association between polymorphism of UCP2 gene and growth, carcass and meat quality traits in rabbits. Results: A synonymous mutation in exon 1 and four variants in the first intron of the UCP2 gene were identified by using PCR-sequencing. The synonymous mutation c.72G>A was subsequently genotyped by MassArray system (Sequenom iPLEXassay) in 248 samples from three meat rabbit breeds (94 Ira rabbits, 83 Champagne rabbits, and 71 Tianfu black rabbits). Association analysis suggested that the individuals with AA and AG genotypes showed greater 70 d body weight (P < 0.05), 84 d body weight (P < 0.01), ADG from 28 to 84 days of age (P < 0.05), eviscerated weight (P < 0.01), semi-eviscerated weight (P < 0.01) and semi-eviscerated slaughter percentage (P < 0.05), respectively. Additionally, the individuals with AA and AG genotype had a lower pH value of longissimus muscle (P < 0.01) and hind leg muscle (P < 0.05) after slaughter 24 h. Conclusions: These findings indicated that UCP2 could be a candidate gene that associated with growth performance, body composition and meat quality in rabbits, and this would contribute to advancements in meat rabbit breeding practice.