<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding rabbits with diets containing dried silkworm pupae and mealworm larvae meals on their slaughter value and meat quality. A total of 60 New Zealand White rabbits at 35 days of age were divided into 3 equivalent groups. Control group (C) and two experimental diets included either 4% silkworm pupae meal (diet A) or 4% mealworm larvae meal (diet B). The experiment lasted for 55 days and growth performance as well chemical and amino acid meat composition and the profile of fatty acids were evaluated during the study. The results showed that dietary supplementation of insect meals caused increases in final body weight and carcass meat content in rabbits from the experimental groups. The experimental diets had no effect on the sum of essential amino acids in the studied muscles, but created differences in the level of some amino acids: phenylalanine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine and methionine. The concentration of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the muscles was comparable in all the groups. In the tissues of rabbits fed the silkworm meal diet, PUFA-3 concentration increased and cholesterol level decreased. It is concluded that dried silkworm pupae and mealworm larvae meals can be used as feed material in rabbit diets at 4% inclusion level without any adverse effect on growth performance, as well as quality and dietetic value of rabbit meat.</p></abstract>

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding rabbits with diets containing dried silkworm pupae and mealworm larvae meals on their slaughter value and meat quality. A total of 60 New Zealand White rabbits at 35 days of age were divided into 3 equivalent groups. Control group (C) and two experimental diets included either 4% silkworm pupae meal (diet A) or 4% mealworm larvae meal (diet B). The experiment lasted for 55 days and growth performance as well chemical and amino acid meat composition and the profile of fatty acids were evaluated during the study. The results showed that dietary supplementation of insect meals caused increases in final body weight and carcass meat content in rabbits from the experimental groups. The experimental diets had no effect on the sum of essential amino acids in the studied muscles, but created differences in the level of some amino acids: phenylalanine, lysine, tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine and methionine. The concentration of saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the muscles was comparable in all the groups. In the tissues of rabbits fed the silkworm meal diet, PUFA-3 concentration increased and cholesterol level decreased. It is concluded that dried silkworm pupae and mealworm larvae meals can be used as feed material in rabbit diets at 4% inclusion level without any adverse effect on growth performance, as well as quality and dietetic value of rabbit meat.

Evaluation of Slaughter Parameters and Meat Quality of Rabbits Fed Diets with Silkworm Pupae and Mealworm Larvae Meals

Department of Fur-bearing Animal Breeding and Game Management, Faculty of Animal Bioengineering

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding rabbits with diets containing dried silkworm pupae and mealworm larvae meals on their slaughter...

Evaluation of Slaughter Parameters and Meat Quality of Rabbits Fed Diets with Silkworm Pupae and Mealworm Larvae Meals

Published Online: May 04, 2020

Page range: 551 - 564

Received: Sep 09, 2019

Accepted: Nov 05, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2019-0080

Keywords
rabbit, feeding, meat quality

© 2020 Dorota Kowalska et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Evaluation of Slaughter Parameters and Meat Quality of Rabbits Fed Diets with Silkworm Pupae and Mealworm Larvae Meals

Published Online: May 04, 2020

Page range: 551 - 564

Received: Sep 09, 2019

Accepted: Nov 05, 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2019-0080

Keywordsrabbit, feeding, meat quality

© 2020 Dorota Kowalska et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
rabbit, feeding, meat quality