Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T01:15:42.411Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of age and gender on carcass traits and meat quality of farmed brown hares

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2017

A. Trocino ,
M. Birolo ,
S. Dabbou ,
F. Gratta ,
N. Rigo  and
G. Xiccato
A. Trocino*
Affiliation:
Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, I-35020 Legnaro, Padova, Italy
M. Birolo
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, I-35020 Legnaro (Padova), Italy
S. Dabbou
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Bioressources, Integrative Biology and Valorisation, Higher Institute of Biotechnology of Monastir, av. Tahar Hadded, BP 74, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia
F. Gratta
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, I-35020 Legnaro (Padova), Italy
N. Rigo
Affiliation:
Farm Giacinto Rigo, I-30036 Santa Maria di Sala, Venezia, Italy
G. Xiccato
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy Food Natural Resources Animal and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padova, Viale dell’Università 16, I-35020 Legnaro (Padova), Italy
*
†E-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

A total of 48 sub-adult hares and adult reproducing farmed hares were used to characterize carcass and meat traits according to the age and gender of animals. With respect to carcass traits, when age increased, the carcass weight significantly increased (2022 to 3391 g; P<0.001), but dressing out percentages did not change. The dissectible fat (1.3% to 2.2%; P<0.05) and Longissimus lumborum (LL) proportions (13.5% to 14.5%; P<0.001) and muscle-to-bone ratio of hind legs (5.11 to 6.23; P<0.001) increased, whereas the hind leg proportions decreased (37.3% to 36.3%; P=0.01). As for the meat quality, the pH of hind leg (5.74 to 5.83; P<0.001) and LL (5.53 to 5.69; P<0.001) increased with age, while the L* index decreased in both cuts (42.9 to 34.4 in hind leg; 45.1 to 40.3 in LL; P<0.001). The redness index increased at the hind leg (4.07 to 5.76; P<0.001), while it decreased at LL (3.03 to 1.46; P<0.001). In the case of the hind leg, meat thawing losses decreased (1.58% to 1.02%), and shear force increased (2.97 to 4.02 kg/g). In the case of LL, thawing losses decreased (8.79% to 4.91%; P<0.001) in the adult hares compared with the sub-adult ones. Meat water and protein contents decreased in the hind leg and LL of the adult hares compared with the sub-adult ones, whereas ether extract increased in a restricted range in LL only (0.92% to 1.11%; P<0.001). In the case of the hind leg, the rate of the saturated fatty acids (SFA) decreased (41.0% to 26.7%), and the rate of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased (34.0% to 45.3%) (P<0.001). In the case of LL, SFA (38.6% to 42.9%) and monounsaturated fatty acids (19.4% to 27.2%) increased, whereas PUFA decreased (42.0% to 30.1%) when the age increased (P<0.001). Gender affected only the slaughter results and carcass traits. In conclusion, farmed hares have favourable slaughter results (high dressing percentage), carcass traits (high hind legs and loins rates), and meat nutritional value (high-protein, low-fat meat). This fact would offer additional commercial opportunities, in addition to restocking, to hare farmers.

Keywords

haresslaughter resultsmeat rheological traitschemical compositionfatty acid composition
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 12 , Issue 4 , April 2018 , pp. 864 - 871
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alasnier, C, Rémignon, H and Gandemer, G 1996. Lipid characteristics associated with oxidative and glycolytic fibres in rabbit muscles. Meat Science 43, 213–224.Google Scholar
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) 2000. Official methods of analysis, 17th edition. AOAC, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
Bass, A, Gutmann, E, Melichna, J and Syrovy, I 1973. Contractile and enzymatic properties of fast and slow muscles of rabbit and hare. Physiologia Bohemoslovenica 22, 477–486.Google Scholar
Blasco, A and Ouhayoun, J 1996. Harmonization criteria and terminology in rabbit meat research. Revised proposal. World Rabbit Science 4, 93–99.Google Scholar
Carrier, DR 1983. Postnatal ontogeny of the musculo-skeletal system in the Black-tailed jack rabbit (Lepus californicus). Journal of Zoology 201, 27–55.Google Scholar
Carrilho, MC, Campo, MM, Olleta, JL, Beltrán, J and López, M 2009. Effect of diet, slaughter weight and sex on instrumental and sensory meat characteristics in rabbits. Meat Science 82, 37–43.Google Scholar
Christie, WW 1982. A simple procedure for rapid transmethylation of glyceolipids and cholesteryl esters. Journal Lipid Research 23, 1072–1075.Google Scholar
Commission International de l’Eclairage (CIE) 1976. Official recommendations on uniform colours spaces, colour differences equations and metric colours terms (Supplement no. 2), Publication no. 15. Colorimetry, Paris, France.Google Scholar
Dalle Zotte, A 2002. Perception of rabbit meat quality and major factors influencing the rabbit carcass and meat quality. Livestock Production Science 75, 11–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fajardo, V, González Isabel, I, Rojas, M, García, T and Martín, R 2010. A review of current PCR-based methodologies for the authentication of meats from game animal species. Trends in Food Science & Technology 21, 408–421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fettinger, V, Smulders, FJM, Lazar, P, Omurtag, I and Paulsen, P 2010. Lesions in thighs from hunted Brown Hares (Lepus europaeus) and microflora under vacuum-packaging storage. European Journal of Wildlife Research 56, 943–947.Google Scholar
Gondret, F, Juin, H, Mourot, J and Bonneau, M 1998a. Effect of age at slaughter on chemical traits and sensory quality of Longissimus lumborum muscle in the rabbit. Meat Science 48, 181–187.Google Scholar
Gondret, F, Mourot, J and Bonneau, M 1998b. Comparison of intramuscular adipose tissue cellularity in muscles differing in their lipid content and fibre type composition during rabbit growth. Livestock Production Science 54, 1–10.Google Scholar
Hernández, P, Aliaga, S, Pla, M and Blasco, A 2004. The effect of selection for growth rate and slaughter age on carcass composition and meat quality traits in rabbits. Journal of Animal Science 82, 3138–3143.Google Scholar
Hernández, P and Dalle Zotte, A. 2010. Influence of diet on rabbit meat quality. In The nutrition of the rabbit, 2nd edition (ed.. C De Blas and J Wiseman), pp. 163–178. CABI Publishing, Wallingford, UK.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hulot, F and Ouhayoun, J 1999. Muscular pH and related traits in rabbits: a review. World Rabbit Science 7, 15–36.Google Scholar
Lazzaroni, C, Biagini, D and Lussiana, C 2009. Different rearing systems for fattening rabbits: performance and carcass characteristics. Meat Science 82, 200–204.Google Scholar
Mertin, D, Slamečka, J, Ondruška, Ľ, Zaujec, K, Jurčík, R and Gašparík, J 2012. Comparison of meat quality between European brown hare and domestic rabbit. Slovak Journal of Animal Science 45, 89–95.Google Scholar
Parigi-Bini, R, Xiccato, G, Cinetto, M and Dalle Zotte, A 1992. Effect of slaughter age and weight on carcass and meat quality of the commercial rabbit. Journal of Applied Rabbit Research 15, 819–826.Google Scholar
Petracci, M, Capozzi, F, Cavani, C, Cremonini, MA and Minelli, G 1999. Influence of slaughter weight and sex on meat quality of rabbits slaughtered at the same age. In Recent progress in animal production science (ed.. G Piva, G Bertoni, F Masoero, P Bani and L Calamari), pp. 650–652. Franco Angeli, Milano, Italy.Google Scholar
Pla, M, Guerrero, L, Guardia, D, Oliver, MÁ and Blasco, A 1998. Carcass characteristics and meat quality of rabbit lines selected for different objectives: I- Between lines comparison. Livestock Production Science 54, 115–123.Google Scholar
Realini, CE, Pérez-Juan, M, Gou, P, Díaz, I, Sárraga, C, Gatellier, P and García-Regueiro, JA 2013. Characterization of longissimus thoracis, semitendinosus and masseter muscles and relationships with technological quality in pigs. 2. Composition of muscles. Meat Science 94, 417–423.Google Scholar
Rigo, N, Trocino, A, Poppi, L, Giacomelli, M, Grilli, G and Piccirillo, A 2015. Performance and mortality of farmed hares. Animal 9, 1025–1031.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sánchez-García, C, Alonso, ME, Díez, C, Pablos, M and Gaudioso, VR 2012. An approach to the statistics of wild lagomorph captive rearing for releasing purposes in Spain. World Rabbit Science 20, 49–56.Google Scholar
Santos, CG, Melo, VS, Amaral, JS, Estevinho, L, Oliveira, MBPP and Mafra, I 2012. Identification of hare meat by a species-specific marker of mitochondrial origin. Meat Science 90, 836–841.Google Scholar
Škrivanko, M, Hadziosmanovi, M, Cvrtila, Z, Zdolec, N, Filipovic, I, Kozacinski, L, Florijancic, T and Boskovic, I 2008. The hygiene and quality of hare meat (Lepus europaeus Pallas) from Eastern Croatia. Archiv für Lebensmittelhygiene 59, 180–184.Google Scholar
Slamecká, J, Palanská, O, Jurčík, R, Hell, P and Mojto, J 1997. Meat quality of hares (Lepus europaeus Pall.): 1. Chemical composition and qualitative parameters of M. longissimus lumborum et thoracis . Fleischwirtschaft 77, 738–740.Google Scholar
Statistical Analysis System Institute Inc 2013. SAS/STAT(R) 9.2 User’s guide, 2nd edition. SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, USA. Retrieved on 18 May 2017 from http://support.sas.com/documentation/cdl/en/statug/63033/HTML/default/viewer.htm#glm_toc.htm.Google Scholar
Strauß, E, Grauer, A, Bartel, M, Klein, R, Wenzelides, L, Greiser, G, Muchin, A, Nösel, H and Winter, A 2008. The German wildlife information system: population densities and development of European Hare (Lepus europaeus PALLAS) during 2002–2005 in Germany. European Journal Wildlife Research 54, 142–147.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tărnăuceanu (Frunză), G, Pop, C and Boişteanu, PC 2015. Technological quality of rabbit meat (Belgian Giant Breed) and hare meat (Lepus europaeus Pallas). Lucrări Științifice – Universitatea de Științe Agricole și Medicină Veterinară, Seria Zootehnie 63, 52–56.Google Scholar
Trocchi, V and Riga, F 2005. I Lagomorfi in Italia. Linee guida per la conservazione e la gestione. Min. Politiche Agricole e Forestali – Ist. Naz. Fauna Selvatica, Documenti Tecnici, 25, 1–128. Retrieved on 15 March 2017 from http://www. nunatak.it/approfondimenti/capitoli/lagomorfi1.pdf.Google Scholar
Trocino, A, Xiccato, G, Queaque, PI and Sartori, A 2003. Effect of transport duration and gender on rabbit carcass and meat quality. World Rabbit Science 11, 23–32.Google Scholar
Vicenti, A, Ragni, M, di Summa, A, Marsico, G and Vonghia, G 2003. Influence of feeds and rearing system on the productive performances and the chemical and fatty acid composition of hare meat. Food Science and Technology International 9, 279–284.Google Scholar
Vizzarri, F, Nardoia, M and Palazzo, M 2014. Effect of dietary Lippia citriodora extract on productive performance and meat quality parameters in hares (Lepus europaeus Pall.). Archiv fur Tierzucht 57, 1–7.Google Scholar
Xiccato, G, Trocino, A, Filiou, E, Majolini, D, Tazzoli, M and Zuffellato, A 2013. Bicellular cage vs. collective pen housing for rabbits: Growth performance, carcass and meat quality. Livestock Science 155, 407–414.Google Scholar
Xue, S, He, Z, Lu, J, Tao, X, Zheng, L, Xie, Y, Xiao, X, Peng, R and Li, H 2015. Effect of growth on fatty acid composition of total intramuscular lipid and phospholipids in Ira rabbits. Korean Journal for Food Science of Animal Resources 35, 10–18.Google Scholar