Some meat utility and quality traits of transgenic rabbit

Abstract

We studied the influence of the integration of human factor VIII (hFVIII) gene on complex of performance traits in rabbits of the inbred line of New Zealand White breed. Founders of the population of transgenic animals were two rabbits created by microinjection of DNA into pronuclei of zygote. Complex of growth and slaughter traits, meat quality and concentration of selected elements in muscular matter were evaluated in transgenic and non-transgenic animals of F1 generation derived from identical litters. Statistically significant effect (p<0.05) of the gene integration was noticed in following traits: live weight at birth of transgenic (0.063 ± 0.001 kg) compared to non-transgenic rabbits (0.058 ± 0.002 kg), in the weight of distal parts (0.062 ± 0.001 vs. 0.069 ± 0.001 kg), weight of the head without skin (0.119 ± 0.003 vs. 0.128 ± 0.003 kg), weight of thighs 0.405 ± 0.010 vs. 0.433 ± 0.009 kg), content of proteins in muscle (74.03 ± 0.26 vs. 74.84 ± 0.28 %), content of fat (3.66 ± 0.40 vs. 2.32 ± 0.44 %), content of energy (495.43 ± 11.81 vs. 458.07 ± 12.94 kJ) and water holding capacity (31.66 ± 0.84 vs. 35.63 ± 0.92 %). Effect of hFVIII gene integration was statistically non-significant in other studied traits. Our results indicate no difference in the growth and slaughter traits between the transgenic and the non-transgenic rabbits. Interpretation of changes in meat quality traits requires a further study of muscle tissue on histological and biochemical levels.