Rabbit divergent selection for total body fat content : effect on proximate composition and fatty acid profile of meat

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the ffect of a divergent selection for total body fat content (Lean vs Fat Lines) of 10-week-old rabbits, measured by com puter tomography, on their meat quality. The first 4 generations of selection were considered. Offspring of the selected rabbits were slaughtered at the age of 11 weeks. Proximate compo sition of hind leg (HL) meat of 120 rabbits (15 samples x Line x Generation) was analysed, whereas fatty acid (FA) profile was determined on the HL meat of generation IV rabbits. At generation IV of selection, the lipids content of the meat was significantly higher (5.58 vs 4.73 g/100 g; P<0.001 ) and the water content significantly lower (75.0 v s 76.2 g/100 g; P<0.05) in the Fat Line. The FA profi le of the HL meat was also significantly modified by the divergent selection, resulting in difference s for monounsaturated FA (26.4 vs 30.8% total FA; P<0.001) and polyunsaturated FA (32.3 vs 28.5% FA methyl esters; P<0.001) for Lean and Fat lines, respectively, with a more favourable n-6/n-3 ratio for Fat Line (16.1 vs 13.0, for Lean and F at lines, respectively; P<0.001). It can be concluded that th e divergent selection for total body fat content wa s effective in modifying the meat fatness and the FA profile of its lipids, while maintaining the protei n content unchanged.