Meat quality of transgenic rabbit

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of human protein C (hPC) gene integration on meat quality of inbred line of New Zealand White rabbit breed. Transgenic animals (founders) were created by microinjection of DNA into pronuclei of zygote. Rabbit meat quality and concentration of selected elements in muscular substance were evaluated in transgenic and non-transgenic animals. We found no effect of hPC gene integration in the content of water in muscle (74.00 ± 0.26 vs. 71.50 ± 0.28 %), protein (21.55 ± 0.26 vs. 21.12 ± 0.29 %), fat (3.50 ± 0.50 vs. 3.35 ± 0.45 %), energy (495.55 ± 10.50 vs. 456.00 ± 12.00 kJ) and water holding capacity (33.85 ± 0.84 vs. 35.65 ± 0.92 %) between transgenic and non-transgenic rabbit. No effect of hPC gene integration was also in concentration of the selected elements in muscular substance. Our results showed no effect of integrated and expressed hPC gene in rabbit genome on the rabbit meat quality