The Comparative Assessment of Correlations of Rabbit Meat Quality Indices

The main aim of the work is to determine correlation of rabbit meat quality indicators between different meat-type rabbit breeds. The tasks of the experiment: 1. to determine the influence of different breeds on physical and chemical rabbit meat parameters; 2. to determine the correlation coefficients between the chemical composition parameters of meat; 3. to determine the correlation coefficients between the chemical composition of meat and meat colour indicators; 4. to determine the correlation coefficients between meat colour indicators and meat texture parameters; 5. to carry out statistical analysis of the results. Research work was performed at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Veterinary Academy, Department of Animal Sciences (Kaunas), in the Vivarium of the Veterinary Academy and at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, the Faculty of Animal Bioengineering. The study was conducted with New Zealand White rabbit (NZ) meat and Californian rabbit breed (K) meat, as well as with hybrids, which had been obtained from crosses of NZ / K females with K males and that of K / NZ females with NZ males, i.e. in total - 60 rabbits. Meat physical parameters: colour in CIE system (L* lightness, a* red and b* yellow colour, C* saturation and H* colour indicator); texture mechanical traits (hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, return resilience, shear force) and pH of meat were evaluated. Analysis of meat chemical composition m. Longissimus was carried out. The obtained data was statistically analysed using the software package Statistica 6.0 (Statsoft Inc., 2005). Negative correlation was determined between water content and amount of fat in rabbit meat r = - 0,7091 ( p≤0,01); correlation between water content and amount of ash was r = 0,2182 (p≤0,05). Number of yellow component (b*) decreased with the increase of meat water content - r = -0,1496 (p≤0,05). Water content in meat correlated with shear force r = 0,2724 (p≤0,01), chewiness r = 0,2241 (p≤0,05) and return resilience r = 0,2351 (p≤0,05). When amount of fat increased, the springiness had decreased r = - 0,3035 (p≤0,01) as well as cohesiveness of rabbit meat r = - 0,2196 (p≤0,05), while the shear force tended to increase r = 0,3390 (p≤0,01) . The amount of ash closely correlated with cohesiveness r = 0,3008 (p≤0,05), springiness r = 0,3138 (p≤0,01) and chewiness r = 0,2078 (p≤0,05). Whilst the colour angle (H*) increased, the springiness r = - 0,3113 (p≤0,05), return resilience r = -0,3301 (p≤0,01) and chewiness r = -0,3152 (p≤0,05) had decreased