title: Inclusion of bilberry pomace in rabbit diets: Effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality.
abstract: A trial was performed to evaluate bilberry pomace (BP) as alternative source of nutrients for rabbits. One hundred and forty-four Grimaud weaned rabbits were divided into 4 groups of 36 animals each and fed ad libitum with a basal diet (BP0) tested against three assay diets developed by substituting 50, 100 and 150g/kg of the BP0 diet with BP (BP5, BP10 and BP15 diets, respectively). Carcass characteristics of rabbits were not affected by treatment, with the exception of liver weight. Dietary inclusion of BP did not affect proximate composition and oxidative status of longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle. Dietary BP significantly ameliorated, in the same muscle, the nutritional quality and health properties of fat. Consumer acceptance of cooked rabbit meat was not significantly affected by treatment. In conclusion, BP can be included in rabbit diets to improve the lipid composition of meat, without adverse effects on carcass characteristics, other physico-chemical properties, oxidative status and meat sensorial traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; Laboratory of Bioresources, Integrative Biology and Valorisation, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, av. Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia. Electronic address: sihem.dabbou@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Sihem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dabbou
authors.affiliation: Institute of Science of Food Production, National Research Council, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: francesco.gai@ispa.cnr.it.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gai
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: manuela.renna@unito.it.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Renna
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: luca.rotolo@unito.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rotolo
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioresources, Integrative Biology and Valorisation, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, av. Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia. Electronic address: samia_1509@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dabbou
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: carola.lussiana@unito.it.
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lussiana
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngam Wong Wan Road, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand. Electronic address: attawitthai@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Attawit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kovitvadhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: alberto.brugiapaglia@unito.it.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brugiapaglia
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: michele.demarco@unito.it.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Marco
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioresources, Integrative Biology and Valorisation, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, av. Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000, Monastir, Tunisia. Electronic address: ahelal584@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ahmed Noureddine
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Helal
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: ivo.zoccarato@unito.it.
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Zoccarato
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, University of Turin, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy; Institute of Science of Food Production, National Research Council, largo Paolo Braccini 2, 10095 Grugliasco, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: laura.gasco@unito.it.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gasco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D006801:Humans; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry; D011817:Rabbits; D029800:Vaccinium myrtillus; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3
keywords: By-product; Fatty acids; Rabbit; Sensory analysis; TBARS; Vaccinium myrtillus