Productive performance and meat quality traits in growing rabbit following the dietary supplementation of Lippia citriodora, Raphanus sativus and Solanum lycopersicum extracts

Consumers particularly appreciate rabbit meat for its low lipid content, rich of polyunsaturated fatty acids, for the high biological value and content of protein, and for its low cholesterol content. The high degree of unsaturation of fatty acids makes meat particularly susceptible to oxidative processes during storage; so in the effort to increase its oxidative stability and improve quality traits, a study was carried out to assess the effect of dietary supplementation of Lippia citriodora, Raphanus sativus and Solanum lycopersicum plant extract in intensively-reared growing rabbits. The experiment was performed on 160 weaned rabbits for 80 days, from which one group was control (CON) receiving a fattening-feed without any supplements. The other three experimental groups received an integration of Lippia citriodora extract (VB group, containing 5 mg of verbascoside per kg of feed), of Solanum lycopersicum extract (LIC group, containing 5 mg of lycopene per kg of feed), and of Raphanus sativus extract (RAF group, containing 350 mg per kg of feed) respectively. The plant extracts have determined in the muscle Longissimum lumborum of rabbit meat a significant reduction in cholesterol, saturated fatty acids and thiobarbituric reactive substances, as well as a marked increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids and in alpha-tocopherol and retinol content. The use of plant extracts have not produced a meat chemical composition change a productive performance and dressing percentage increase; however feed additives favoured improving the nutritional and nutraceuticals quality of meat, with beneficial effects on the health of the consumer. In addition, the use of plant extracts has permitted obtaining meat with greater oxidative stability with evident positive implications on its shelf-life.