Use of different levels of false flax (Camelina sativa L.) seed in diets for fattening rabbits

An experiment has been conducted to study the effects of various levels of false flax (Camelina sativa L.) seed (FFS) in the diet on the growth performance, some carcass characteristics and fatty acid profile of rabbits meat and fat. In the experiment, a total of 30 weaned crossbred rabbits aged 70 days and weighing, on average, 2316 g were equally divided into three groups of 10 (five male and five female rabbits each). Three levels (0%, 10%, or 15%) of FFS were included in isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets. The experimental period lasted 50 days. At the end of the experiment, there were no significant differences among the groups in live weight, live weight gain, feed consumption, feed efficiency, carcass yield and the percentages of edible organs. The percentage values of head, skin and limbs, fore legs, hind legs, breast and ribs, loin and abdominal wall were not affected by the inclusion level of FFS. Although the chemical composition of the meat was not significantly affected by the dietary treatment, the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) concentration in the longissimus dorsi muscle and perirenal fat was significantly increased with the increasing of FFS inclusion, while saturated fatty acid (SFA) decreased. The n−6/n−3 PUFA ratio of the meat decreased from 3.86 in the control group, to 1.19 in the 15% of FFS group. These results showed that the use of a diet supplemented with FFS was effective in reducing the saturation, atherogenic and thrombogenic indexes, with consequent benefits on the nutritional quality of rabbit meat for consumers, without significant adverse effects on growth performance and carcass characteristics.