P. Hernandez et al., CARCASS CHARACTERISTICS AND MEAT QUALITY OF RABBIT LINES SELECTED FORDIFFERENT OBJECTIVES - II - RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MEAT CHARACTERISTICS, Livestock production science, 54(2), 1998, pp. 125-131
Rabbits from three lines (A, V and R) and three different weights (180
0, 2050, 2300 g) were used in the experiment. Nine animals of each lin
e and weight were used. Lines A and V were selected for litter size at
weaning, whereas line R was selected for growth rate between the 4th
and 9th week of life. Muscular pH of Longissimus (pHLD) at the level o
f the 5th lumbar vertebra and pH of Biceps femoris (pHBF) were taken 2
4 h post-mortem, Colour (L lightness, C * chroma, H * hue) was measu
red on the carcass surface of the Longissimus muscle at the level of t
he 4th lumbar vertebra and at the 7th lumbar vertebra cut. Fat and moi
sture were estimated on fore lee muscles (including insertion and thor
acic muscles), hind leg, abdominal wall and Longissimus muscle. Water
holding capacity, cooking loss (CL) and texture (shear force) were est
imated on Longissimus muscle. A principal component analysis was perfo
rmed in order to examine the relationships between the traits measured
. The four ist PC explained a 63% of the total variation (29%, 16%, 10
% and 8%, respectively). The principal component analysis showed that
meat quality traits were grouped in independent sets. Fat-moisture, te
xture, pH and luminosity of Longissimus explained a large part of the
observed variation. The differences between lines or liveweight groups
in meat quality tend to be small, which implies a certain constancy i
n rabbit meat quality. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser
ved.