Influence of Dietary Supplementation with Prebiotic, Oregano Extract, and Vitamin E on Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Status of Rabbit Meat

Abstract EN

The effect of dietary supplementation with vitamin E, oregano, and prebiotic on fatty acids and oxidative profiles of rabbit meat (loin and hind leg) was evaluated.

New Zealand white rabbits weaned at 30 days of age were fed with one of six diets until 80 days of age: standard diet including ω3 polyunsaturated fatty and conjugated linolenic acids sources (S) and five diets adding vitamin E (150 ppm, E), oregano water extract (2 g/kg feed diet, O), prebiotic (THEPAX® 1.5 g/kg feed diet, T), vitamin E plus prebiotic (TE), and oregano water extract plus prebiotic (TO), respectively.

The lipid oxidative status (TBARS) showed lower values with respect to S, mainly when vitamin E was administered.

In particular, all the experimental diets decreased TBARS values with respect to the control group in the loin, but no effect was found in the hind leg.

In all feed samples, the amounts of fatty acid classes increased in the following order: polyunsaturated fatty acids > monounsaturated fatty acid > saturated fatty acid.

The dietary supplementations did not affect the fatty acid composition of meat.

The experimented diets compared to the control were not able to provide a selective increase of bioactive fatty acid in meat samples; however, the six nutritional strategies led to highly nutritional rabbit meat with an interesting value of the ω6/ω3 ratio.