Impact of Pumpkin Seed Cake (Cucurbita Pepo L.) on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Rabbits*

Zuzanna Siudak; Dorota Kowalska; Sylwia Pałka; Dorota Wojtysiak; Paweł Bielański; Michał Kmiecik; Agnieszka Otwinowska-Mindur

doi:10.2478/aoas-2025-0067

Figures & Tables

Cross-sectional view of the m. longissimus lumborum of Popielno White rabbits. Control group (A), group fed 5% pumpkin seed cake (B), and group fed 10% pumpkin seed cake (C). Histochemical reaction for NADH-TR dehydrogenase activity and immunohistochemical reaction for the presence of the slow myosin heavy chain isoform. Red muscle fibers (type I), intermediate fibers (type IIA), and white fibers (type IIB). Scale bar 100 μm

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on the parameters of hot and chilled carcass analysis (g) and dressing out percentage (%) (mean ± SEM)

Parameter	Group			P-value
Parameter	C (n = 10)	E1 (n = 10)	E2 (n = 10)	P-value
Hot carcass analysis
Slaughter weight	2821.5±88.0	2893.0±57.1	2881.0±83.6	0.784
Carcass weight without head	1412.6±52.9	1499.8±34.4	1477.2±57.3	0.441
Head	243.6±9.02	240.9±3.51	236.0±4.81	0.684
Liver	83.20±5.79	83.34±1.92	81.29±4.98	0.938
Heart	9.44±0.34	9.54±0.42	10.54±0.62	0.221
Kidneys	18.05±0.86	17.74±0.75	17.18±0.89	0.761
Lungs	19.14±1.43 a	15.76±0.47 b	15.70±0.71 b	0.026
Perirenal fat	16.01±2.63	11.03±4.18	10.67±3.08	0.464
Total edible parts	1802.1±66.5	1878.2±38.5	1848.6±63.0	0.644
Skin with fur	308.0±14.5	311.2±12.3	298.5±11.3	0.766
Blood	151.0±4.35	146.9±7.40	156.4±6.75	0.576
Hind legs	80.50±2.19	81.16±1.47	81.92±2.32	0.885
Gastrointestinal tract	479.9±11.5	475.5±12.6	495.6±10.7	0.449
Total inedible parts	1019.4±23.5	1014.8±20.9	1032.4±22.2	0.846
Chilled carcass analysis
Cold carcass weight without head	1375.3±53.1	1468.0±37.9	1430.4±52.5	0.406
Chilling loss	37.32±3.69	31.78±6.71	46.78±10.11	0.356
Weight of fore part	542.0±24.7	599.0±16.4	585.7±25.9	0.198
Weight of middle part	316.0±10.4	321.0±13.4	308.2±13.1	0.763
Weight of hind part	517.3±18.9	548.0±13.2	536.5±15.8	0.410
Dressing out percentage
Dressing out percentage hot	50.004±0.49	50.667±1.42	51.09±2.50	0.900
Dressing out percentage chilled	47.046±0.92	49.348±1.43	49.807±2.63	0.519

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on body weight and weight gains (g) of rabbits during rearing weeks (mean ± SEM)

Parameter	Group			P-value
Parameter	C (n = 20)	E1 (n = 20)	E2 (n = 20)	P-value
Body weight on day 35	962.2±11.8	973.3±13.2	972.5±11.8	0.779
Body weight on day 56	1635.0±39.9 a	1505.0±35.7 b	1547.0±43.3 ab	0.024
Body weight on day 70	2059.3±48.1	2042.8±41.3	2020.3±54.1	0.847
Body weight on day 77	2346.0±51.3	2330.0±41.4	2298.0±54.2	0.782
Body weight on day 90	2769.0±66.5	2869.8±46.8	2926.3±55.7	0.150
Gains (days 35–56)	672.8±36.0 a	531.7±29.7 b	574.5±39.0 ab	0.019
Gains (days 35–70)	1097.0±47.5	1069.5±35.9	1047.7±49.0	0.736
Gains (days 35–77)	1383.7±49.2	1356.8±37.6	1325.5±49.5	0.668
Gains (days 35–90)	1806.8±64.3	1896.5±49.9	1953.7±50.9	0.176
Gains (days 56–70)	424.3±26.1 b	537.8±24.0 a	473.3±31.8 ab	0.018
Gains (days 70–77)	286.8±26.1	287.3±14.5	277.8±15.2	0.926
Gains (days 77–90)	423.0±44.3 b	539.8±39.8 ab	628.3±23.1 a	0.001
Daily gains to day 56	32.04±1.72 a	25.32±1.41 b	27.36±1.86 ab	0.019
Daily gains to day 70	31.34±1.35	30.56±1.02	29.93±1.40	0.736
Daily gains to day 77	32.95±1.17	32.30±0.89	31.55±1.17	0.668
Daily gains to day 90	25.15±0.89	24.66±0.68	24.66±0.90	0.668
Daily gains (days 56–70)	30.30±1.86 b	38.41±1.72 a	33.80±2.27 ab	0.018
Daily gains (days 70–77)	40.96±3.73	41.04±2.06	39.68±2.17	0.926
Daily gains (days 77–90)	30.21±3.17 b	38.55±2.84 ab	44.87±1.64 a	0.001
Feed conversion (kg/kg gain)	4.542±0.17	4.176±0.14	4.447±0.19	0.305

Effect of pumpkin seed cake addition on cooking loss, shear force and profile texture analysis of the longissimus lumborum muscle (mean ± SEM)

Parameter	Group			P-value
Parameter	C (n = 10)	E1 (n = 10)	E2 (n = 10)	P-value
Shear force (kg)	0.967±0.08 a	1.661±0.16 b	1.524±0.11 b	0.001
Hardness (kg)	8.753±0.85 a	13.268±1.39 b	10.897±1.26 ab	0.040
Cohesiveness	0.414±0.01 a	0.487±0.01 b	0.458±0.01 b	0.001
Springiness	0.488±0.02	0.537±0.01	0.504±0.01	0.086
Chewiness (kg)	1.871±0.27 a	3.731±0.57 b	2.704±0.42 ab	0.021
Cooking loss (%)	16.906±2.46	22.287±0.66	18.452±1.54	0.092

Chemical composition of the rabbit feed mixtures

Analytical component	Dose
Analytical component	C	E1	E2
Dry matter	90.2	90.04	90.28
Crude ash	6.02	5.76	5.71
Crude fat	5.19	5.05	5.45
Crude protein	16.52	16.31	16.45
Crude fiber	10.68	11.92	11.16

Chemical composition of pumpkin seed cake (%)

Analytical component	Pumpkin seed cake
Dry matter	92.48
Crude ash	7.12
Crude fat	26.52
Crude protein	43.36
Crude fiber	2.44

Component composition of the feed mixtures given to the rabbits (%)

Component	Group
Component	C	E1	E2
Post-extraction soybean meal	13	6.5	0
Alfalfa hay	20.1	20.1	22.1
Wheat bran	18.1	20	17
Barley meal	29.8	33.8	42
Corn meal	10	6.65	2
Rapeseed oil	2.1	1.05	0
Phosphate	1	1	1
NaCl (salt)	0.4	0.4	0.4
Mineral-vitamin premix	1	1	1
Arbocel (wood cellulose)	4.5	4.5	4.5
Pumpkin seed cake	0	5	10

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on the diameter (μm) and proportion of muscle fibers type I, IIA, and IIB in the longissimus lumborum muscle (mean ± SEM)

Parameter	Group			P-value
Parameter	C (n = 10)	E1 (n = 10)	E2 (n = 10)	P-value
ØI	48.09±1.06	48.79±1.35	47.78±1.38	0.865
ØIIA	50.67±1.76	49.74±0.81	50.28±1.28	0.887
ØIIB	66.19±1.35	66.44±1.38	66.68±1.20	0.966
%I	5.87±0.58	6.49±0.48	6.44±0.47	0.637
%IIA	23.32±1.05	23.37±1.16	23.10±0.91	0.981
%IIB	70.81±1.30	70.14±1.32	70.46±1.20	0.930

Effect of pumpkin seed cake addition on the acidity and color of muscles: longissimus lumborum and biceps femoris (mean ± SEM)

Parameter	Group			P-value	Reference range
Parameter	C (n = 10)	E1 (n = 10)	E2 (n = 10)	P-value	Reference range
m. longissimus lumborum
pH₄₅	6.715±0.04 a	6.601±0.05 ab	6.504±0.03 b	0.006	6.10–6.80 (Pałka et al., 2022)
pH₂₄	5.733±0.27 a	5.588±0.03 b	5.563±0.02 b	0.001	5.60–5.90 (Zając, 1999)
L*45	60.82±0.63	62.71±0.98	62.97±0.92	0.183
a*45	6.562±0.65	6.590±0.61	5.260±0.80	0.246
b*45	3.871±0.62	4.474±0.43	3.875±0.61	0.801
L*24	56.18±1.62	59.29±1.45	60.27±0.69	0.078
a*24	8.578±0.85 a	9.068±0.46 b	7.090±0.29 c	0.038
b*24	6.750±0.38	6.929±0.41	6.130±0.30	0.179
m. biceps femoris
pH₄₅	6.791±0.04 a	6.714±0.05 ab	6.554±0.06 b	0.012	6.10–6.80 (Pałka et al., 2022)
pH₂₄	5.969±0.05 a	5.695±0.06 b	5.679±0.03 b	0.001	5.60–5.90 (Zając, 1999)
L*45	53.54±0.67	54.85±0.36	55.16±0.52	0.155
a*45	4.020±0.41	4.369±0.54	4.016±0.29	0.971
b*45	2.739±0.43	3.499±0.41	2.994±0.34	0.546
L*24	55.17±0.97	54.51±0.62	56.99±0.58	0.145
a*24	6.337±0.42	6.058±0.34	5.618±0.61	0.496
b*24	5.083±0.44	5.010±0.31	4.848±0.43	0.774

Fatty acid profile in the feed mixtures (g/100 g of all measured fatty acids)

Fatty acid	Dose
Fatty acid	C	E1	E2
C8:0	0.00	0.00	0.00
C10:0	0.00	0.00	0.00
C12:0	0.00	0.00	0.00
C14:0	0.11	0.13	0.16
C16:0	10.88	12.72	15.01
C16:1n-9	0.18	0.15	0.14
C18:0	1.84	2.80	3.75
C18:1n-9	40.43	32.04	22.72
C18:2n-6	39.17	47.13	55.14
GLA	0.00	0.01	0.00
C20:0	0.46	0.41	0.36
C18:3n-3	6.47	4.22	2.43
C22:0	0.36	0.32	0.28
C20:4n-3	0.00	0.00	0.00
C22:1	0.08	0.05	0.01
C20:5n-3 (EPA)	0.00	0.01	0.00
C22:6n-3 (DHA)	0.00	0.00	0.00
SFA	13.65	16.38	19.56
UFA	86.35	83.62	80.44
MUFA	40.69	32.24	22.87
PUFA	45.66	51.38	57.57
PUFA n-6	39.18	47.14	55.14
PUFA n-3	6.47	4.23	2.43
DFA	88.19	86.42	84.19
UFA/SFA	6.32	5.10	4.11
MUFA/SFA	2.98	1.97	1.17
PUFA/SFA	3.34	3.14	2.94
PUFA n-6/n-3	6.05	11.15	22.71

Amino acid composition in the feed mixtures (g/kg)

Amino acid	Dose
Amino acid	C	E1	E2
Aspartic acid (Asp)	15.86	11.55	10.26
Threonine (Thr)	6.32	4.73	4.30
Serine (Ser)	8.43	6.23	5.82
Glutamic acid (Glu)	30.14	24.78	22.82
Proline (Pro)	11.21	9.72	9.27
Glycine (Gly)	7.96	6.34	6.00
Alanine (Ala)	8.28	6.16	5.80
Valine (Val)	8.11	6.33	5.92
Isoleucine (Ile)	6.63	5.07	4.36
Leucine (Leu)	12.58	9.54	8.60
Tyrosine (Tyr)	5.86	4.16	3.31
Phenylalanine (Phe)	8.03	5.86	5.35
Histidine (His)	5.53	2.99	2.63
Lysine (Lys)	9.69	6.43	5.79
Arginine (Arg)	10.00	8.82	8.87
Cysteine (Cys)	2.62	2.44	2.31
Methionine (Met)	2.41	2.20	2.32

Impact of Pumpkin Seed Cake (Cucurbita Pepo L.) on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits and Meat Quality of Rabbits*

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on the parameters of hot and chilled carcass analysis (g) and dressing out percentage (%) (mean ± SEM)

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on body weight and weight gains (g) of rabbits during rearing weeks (mean ± SEM)

Effect of pumpkin seed cake addition on cooking loss, shear force and profile texture analysis of the longissimus lumborum muscle (mean ± SEM)

Chemical composition of the rabbit feed mixtures

Chemical composition of pumpkin seed cake (%)

Component composition of the feed mixtures given to the rabbits (%)

Effect of pumpkin seed cake on the diameter (μm) and proportion of muscle fibers type I, IIA, and IIB in the longissimus lumborum muscle (mean ± SEM)

Effect of pumpkin seed cake addition on the acidity and color of muscles: longissimus lumborum and biceps femoris (mean ± SEM)

Fatty acid profile in the feed mixtures (g/100 g of all measured fatty acids)

Amino acid composition in the feed mixtures (g/kg)

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