title: Improvement of color and lipid stability of rabbit meat by dietary supplementation with vitamin E.
abstract: The effects of vitamin E (all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate) supplementation on meat color and oxidative stability of muscle lipids in New Zealand White rabbits was determined. Twenty animals received pelleted diet (containing 60 mg/kg α-tocopheryl acetate) and 10 of these (treatment group) received drinking water containing 100 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/L for 15 days before slaughter. The α-tocopherol content of the longissimus lumborum muscle (LL) was higher (5.66 vs 1.65 μg/g) in the supplemented group than the control group (p<0.001). The surface redness (a*) of the muscle showed a significant time×treatment effect (p<0.001), decreasing more in the control group over 11 days of storage in the dark at +2.5°C. The lightness (L*) showed a tendency (p=0.06) for a treatment×time effect. No effect of vitamin supplementation was observed on yellowness (b*). Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in muscle, an index of oxidative stability, were lower in the treated than control group throughout storage (p<0.01 for treatment effect). Vitamin E supplementation appears to be an effective way to improve the color and lipid stability of rabbit meat.
authors: Istituto di Alimentazione Animale, Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Via Celoria 10, I-20133 Milan, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Corino
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Pastorelli
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Pantaleo
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Oriani
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Salvatori