A comparison of selected biochemical characteristics of meat from nutrias (Myocastor coypus Mol.) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) / Porównanie wskaźników biochemicznych mięsa nutrii (Myocastor coypus Mol.) i królików (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare major biochemical properties of nutria meat with relevant composition and texture data of rabbit carcasses. The meat from nutria m. semimembranosus (MS; thigh muscle) contained 29.54% dry matter (DM), 20.05% total protein (TP), 7.83% total fat (TF) and 1.23% total ash (TA). The ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) was lower in nutria than in rabbit meat (0.55-0.58 and 0.93-0.94, respectively). The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was 15.3 (MS) and 11.22 (m. longissimus dorsi, MLD; loin) in nutria meat and 7.55 and 8.08 respectively in rabbit meat, which appeared more beneficial for the consumer. Among the most important texture parameters, hardness ranged from 66 for MS to 73 N for MLD, and overall chewiness was 23 N. The collagen content was between 0.68 and 0.72%. The results show that in comparison with rabbit meat, nutria meat has valuable properties and is recommended for the human diet.