Fatty acid composition of meat from the hind leg cut of rabbits (Oryctolagus cunniculus) fed diets containing graded levels of processed tallow (Detarium microcarpum) seed meal

Eighty one (81) weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes (male and female) were randomly allotted to nine treatment groups with nine rabbits per treatment. Each treatment had three replicates with three rabbits per replicate. Processed tallow was included in the diets as a source of protein which was set at 16 % CP. The control diet had 100 % palm kernel cake (PKC) and 0 % tallow seed meal (TSM). Diets 1 - 4 contained cooked tallow seed meal (CTSM) included at 75 % PKC: 25 % CTSM, 50 % PKC: 50% CTSM, 25% PKC:75 % CTSM and 0 % PKC: 100 % CTSM, while groups 5 - 8 had fermented tallow seed meal diets (FTSM) and included at the same levels as in the cooked diets. Fifty four rabbits were randomly selected for slaughtering from the nine groups with six rabbits (male and females) per group. Fatty acid content of the hind leg of rabbits were determined. All the fatty acids measured were significantly (P<0.05) influenced by the processing methods except decosenoic acid methyl ester and pentadecanoic acid methyl esters. The levels of inclusion of tallow also significantly (P<0.05) affected all the fatty acids composition measured. It was therefore concluded that irrespective of the processing methods the use of tallow in the diets of rabbits has no negative effect on the fatty acid composition of rabbit meat.