Acta Veterinaria et Zootechnica Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (8): 2598-2607.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2022.08.018

• ANIMAL NUTRITION AND FEEDS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of Non-Fasting and Fasting before Slaughter on Stress Level, Meat Quality and Behavior of Meat Rabbits after Transportation

GUO Zihan1, QIN Chunli2, ZHANG Fangfang3, ZHAO Na1, WANG Bin1, HE Zhifei4, LI Hongjun4,5, LÜ Jingzhi1*   

  1. 1. Laboratary of Biological Feed and Molecular Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
    2. Agricultural and Rural Bureau of Bazhou District, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, Bazhong 636000, China;
    3. Bazhou Animal Husbandry Station, Bazhong City, Sichuan Province, Bazhong 636000, China;
    4. College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China;
    5. Chongqing Key Laboratory of Special Foods Jointly Built by Sichuan and Chongqing, Chongqing 400715, China
  • Received:2021-11-01 Online:2022-08-23 Published:2022-08-23

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Abstract: Hyla meat rabbits were taken in this experiment to study the effects of fasting and non-fasting on the stress level, meat quality and behaviors, and to explore a reasonable post-treatment method for meat rabbits after transportation. Eighty male Hyla rabbits with weight of (2.5±0.5) kg were chosed and randomly divided into 8 groups:control group, 0 h after transportation group, non-fasting 6 h group, non-fasting 24 h, fasting 6 h group, fasting 24 h group, fasting behavior observation group and non-fasting behavior observation group (behavior observation without slaughter). The pre-trial period was 7 days, and the transportation in formal experiment lasted for 2 hours. The results were as follows:Compared with the control group, the serum levels of ALT, AST, TG, Glu, CK and LDH had no significant changes at 0 h after transportation (P>0.05), but the serum TP concentration decreased and the cortisol concentration increased significantly after transportation (P<0.05). The levels of serum glucose were higher, but CK activities were lower in non-fasting 24 h group than in fasting 24 h group (P<0.05), and the levels of LDH activities in non-fasting 6 h group were lower than those in fasting 6 h group (P<0.05). In the determination of meat quality, the muscle pH increased significantly at 0 h after transportation (P<0.05), and the muscle L* and a* levels decreased significantly (P<0.05). The L*, a* and b* values of non-fasting 24 h group were significantly higher than those of fasting 24 h group. There was no significant difference in muscle pH, water loss rate, cooking loss rate or shear force between fasting group and non-fasting group (P>0.05). In terms of gene expression, JNK and Caspase-3 levels increased significantly at 0 h after transportation (P<0.05). Compared with fasting, non-fasting decreased the relative expression of JNK mRNA (P<0.05), but had no significant effect on Caspase-3 level (P>0.05). In the aspect of behaviors, compared with fasting, non-fasting only reduced the caecotrophy behavior (P<0.05), but did not change the stereotyped behaviors of meat rabbits significantly (P>0.05). Non-fasting for 24 hours during lairage period after transportation can improve the meat quality to a certain extent, reduce stress and body damage, and improve the welfare levels of meat rabbits.

Key words: meat rabbit, non-fasting, stress, meat quality, behavior, JNK pathway

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