Dietary supplementation of dried artichoke bracts on carcass characteristics and meat quality of rabbits

The aim of this research was to evaluate the dietary supplementation of artichoke bracts (AB) on the carcass characteristics, the chemical, physical and meat quality traits of rabbit meat. 120 weaned crossbred rabbits aged 38 days old were used and divided into three groups that were fed with different isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets supplemented with AB at 0%, 5% and 10%, respectively. At the end of the trial 12 animals per group were slaughtered and samples of dorsal muscle were taken in order to perform laboratory analysis. Carcass parameters were not affected by treatments excepting for the slaughter weight. Meat quality traits and oxidative lipid stability were not influenced by AB supplementation except for the meat ether extract content that increased from 0.68 to 0.94% on fresh matter basis with the increase of the AB supplementation (P<0.01). In conclusion, AB can be used in rabbit without adverse effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality traits.