Inclusion of bilberry pomace in growing rabbit diets improves the nutritional quality of fat in the Biceps femoris muscle

A trial was performed to evaluate the effects of dietary bilberry pomace (BP) on pH, color, cooking losses, color, proximate composition and fatty acid (FA) profile of the Biceps femoris (BF) muscle in growing rabbits. Forty-eight Grimaud weaned rabbits (35 days old) were randomly divided into four groups of 12 animals each and fed ad libitum with a basal diet (BP0 diet) tested against three assay diets developed by substituting 50, 100 and 150 g / kg of the BP0 diet with BP (BP5, BP10 and BP15 diets, respectively). At 83 days of age, the rabbits were slaughtered without fasting. Inclusion of BP in the diet did not significantly affect pH, color, cooking losses, ash and protein contents, but determined a significant increase of ether extract in the muscle. Increasing dietary inclusion of BP also determined a proportional increase of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and total n-3 fatty acid (FA), as well as a proportional decrease of total saturated fatty acids (SFA) and total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) in the muscle. Dietary BP significantly ameliorated the PUFA / SFA ratio, the n-6 / n-3 FA ratio and the atherogenicity and thrombogenicity indexes of rabbit meat.