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Effects of acerola (Malpighia emarginata) by-product on performance, carcass traits, antioxidant activity, and meat quality of growing rabbits

Abstract:

Two experiments were carried out to determine the nutritional value of acerola by-product (ABP) and the effects of dietary supply of this by-product on performance, carcass traits, biochemical parameters, antioxidant status, and meat quality of growing rabbits. In the digestibility experiment, 36 rabbits (18 males and 18 females) were allocated between 3 treatments (reference diet and two test diet, composed by 850 g/kg reference diet and 150 g/kg ABP; and 700 g/kg reference diet and 300 g/kg ABP). The ABP contained 100 g/kg crude protein (CP), 47.5 g/kg ether extract (EE), 698 g/kg neutral detergent fibre (aNDFom), 548 g/kg acid detergent fibre (ADFom), and 18.4 MJ digestible energy (DE)/kg per dry matter (DM). In the performance experiment, 120 rabbits (60 males and 60 females) were allocated in a 5 × 2 factorial design study, with five inclusion levels of ABP (0, 80, 160, 240 and 320 g/kg) and 2 genders. The regression analysis, the inclusion of ABP had a quadratic effect on final weight, daily feed intake, carcass weight, scapular fat, and overall score, with best estimated levels at 158, 265, 220, 249 and 270 g/kg, respectively (P < 0.05). ABP promoted a linear increase on the feed conversion, visceral fat, phenolic compounds in rabbit meat, antioxidant potential and total antioxidant activity (P < 0.05). ABP supply in rabbits’ diets linearly decreased the digestibility coefficients of CP, aNDFom and ADFom, cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force (P < 0.05). Male rabbits had lower antioxidant potential and total antioxidant activity than female rabbits (P < 0.05). Acerola by-product enhances final weight, daily feed intake, carcass traits, meat quality, and antioxidant status of growing rabbits. Female rabbits have better antioxidant status than males.