Effect of natural feed additives on meat quality and caecotrophic fatty acid profile of New Zealand rabbits

ABSTRACT The objectives of this research were to evaluate the effects of commercial probiotic and chitosan as food additives on the quality and meat composition of 36 New Zealand White rabbits (57 ± 8 days old and 1,648 ± 0.194 kg) and on the fatty acid profile of caecotrophs. The treatments were CT (diets without inclusion of additives), PRO (inclusion of 4 g / kg of commercial probiotic) and CHI (inclusion of 4 g / kg of chitosan). The additives increased triglycerides and decreased urea compared to the control group, as well as increased oleic and linoleic acids, Ʃ unsaturated, Ʃ monounsaturated and Ʃ polyunsaturated in caecotrophs. CHI animals showed a decrease in myristic and palmitic acids compared to PRO. CHI decreased the meat's crude protein and the meat's fat. In addition, there was a decrease in omega-3, omega-6 and the relationship unsaturated and saturated fatty acids for the CHI group and an increase in erucic acid and a decrease in the rate of hypocholesterolemic acids. As a conclusion, the data showed that the animals that ingested probiotic had better meat quality, for having better fatty acid profile and hypocholesterolemic index, compared to the treatment with chitosan. The additives improved the caecotrophs fatty acid profile.