ABSTRACT: Pannon White bucks were selected divergently using CT method by the volume of the hind leg muscle. Animals showed the highest and lowest muscle volumes were selected as minus and plus-selected variants. The male progenies of the minus and plus-selected parents were slaughtered as fi rst generation which was selected again by CT method and the male progenies of the parents were slaughtered. Results in the fi rst and second generation suggest that selection, as a genetic effect did not affect the rate of lipid peroxidation, as was measured by malondialdehyde content and glutathione redox status, as was measured by the reduced glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase activity of the hind leg muscle. However, there were some differences in the fatty acid composition. Signifi cant (P&lt;0.05) difference was found in palmitoleic acid content which was higher in the minus as compared to the plus variants in the second generation, in eicosadienoic acid which was higher in the fi rst as compared to the second generation of minus variants, and total monounsaturated fatty acids which was higher in the minus as compared to the plus variants in the second generation. It means that selection for higher hind leg volume would not causes marked in changes in the rabbit meat quality as measured by lipid peroxide and glutathione status as well as fatty acid composition

Balogh K

Fricska M

Fébel H ‡

Matics § Zs

Mézes M

Szabó A §

Szendrő Zs

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World Rabbit Sci. 2009, 17: 15 - 19
© WRSA, UPV, 2003
15
Correspondence: M. Mézes. Mezes.Miklos@mkk.szie.hu
Received May 2008 - Accepted September 2008
EFFECTS OF DIVERGENT SELECTION FOR HIND LEG MUSCLE VOLUME ON 
ITS LIPID PEROXIDE AND GLUTATHIONE REDOX STATUS, AND FATTY ACID 
COMPOSITION IN GROWING RABBITS 
Mézes M.*, Balogh K.*,† , Fébel H.‡, Matics Zs.§, Fricska M.*, Szabó A.§, Szendrő Zs.§
*Szent István University, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Nutrition, POB. 303, 
H-2103 GÖDÖLLŐ, Hungary.  
†Research Group of Animal Breeding and Hygiene, Faculty of Animal Science, University of Kaposvár, POB. 16, 
H-7401 KaPosVÁR, Hungary.
‡Research Institute for Animal Breeding and Nutrition, H-2053 HeRcegHaloM, Hungary
§Kaposvár University, Faculty of Animal Science, Department of Swine and Small Animal Breeding, POB. 16, 
H-7401, KaPosVÁR, Hungary.
ABSTRACT: Pannon White bucks were selected divergently using CT method by the volume of the hind leg muscle. 
Animals showed the highest and lowest muscle volumes were selected as minus and plus-selected variants. The male 
progenies of the minus and plus-selected parents were slaughtered as fi rst generation which was selected again by CT 
method and the male progenies of the parents were slaughtered. Results in the fi rst and second generation suggest 
that selection, as a genetic effect did not affect the rate of lipid peroxidation, as was measured by malondialdehyde 
content and glutathione redox status, as was measured by the reduced glutathione content and glutathione peroxidase 
activity of the hind leg muscle. However, there were some differences in the fatty acid composition. Signifi cant (P<0.05) 
difference was found in palmitoleic acid content which was higher in the minus as compared to the plus variants in the 
second generation, in eicosadienoic acid which was higher in the fi rst as compared to the second generation of minus 
variants, and total monounsaturated fatty acids which was higher in the minus as compared to the plus variants in the 
second generation. It means that selection for higher hind leg volume would not causes marked in changes in the rabbit 
meat quality as measured by lipid peroxide and glutathione status as well as fatty acid composition. 
Key Words: malondialdehyde, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, fatty acids, rabbit meat.
INTRODUCTION 
Dressing out percentage is one of the most important traits in rabbit breeding. The heritability of rabbit 
carcass traits is moderately high (Lukefahr et al., 1996, Nagy et al., 2006). Therefore selection for hind 
leg muscle volume using a non-invasive (e.g. computer tomography, CT) method may lead to genetic 
improvements in dressing out percentage (Szendrő et al., 2008, Gyovai et al., 2008). A genetic variation 
in glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activity has previously been suspected in rabbits (Mézes et al., 1994), 
and for the correlation of GSHPx activity and production traits, such as body weight and weight gain 
(Mézes et al., 1994). Glutathione peroxidase activity has been proposed as a possible selection criterion 
Mézes et al.
16
in rabbit breeding, as slightly negative phenotypic correlation has been found between dressing out 
percentage and the GSHPx activity of red blood cell haemolysate in Pannon white rabbits (Virág et al., 
1996).
A higher rate of lipid peroxidation and higher malondialdehyde content was found in the thigh muscle 
homogenate in plus variant progenies using CT-based selection for greater hind leg muscle volume (Mézes 
et al., 2006). It was also found that selection for higher growth rate (Ramírez et al., 2005, Hernandez et 
al., 2008) or for litter size at weaning (Hernandez et al., 2008) affects the fatty acid composition of leg 
meat and the perirenal fat of rabbits. 
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of CT-based divergent selection for hind leg 
volume in first and second generation Pannon White rabbit progenies on the possible genetic differences 
in the lipid peroxide and glutathione redox status, and fatty acid composition of hind leg meat.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental animals
Using CT, Pannon White bucks were selected divergently for hind leg muscle volume (Szendrő et al., 
2008). In the first and second stages of selection, animals (of both sexes) with the highest and lowest 
muscle volume were selected as minus (M) and plus-selected (P) variants. The progenies of the minus (M) 
and plus-selected (P) parents (M×M and P×P) were randomly slaughtered as first generation specimens. 
The first generation was selected again using CT and the progenies of the parents (MM×MM and PP×PP) 
were randomly slaughtered. Experimental slaughtering of the progenies (bucks only) was carried out at 
70 d of age after 24 h of fasting (n=15 in each group). Hind leg samples were taken immediately after 
dissection, following the procedure described by Blasco and Ouhayoun (1996). The whole (deboned) 
right hind leg was ground up using a mincing machine (Retsch, Grindomix, Haan, Germany) and samples 
of leg muscle were stored at −70°C until they were analysed.
Biochemical methods
The lipid peroxidation rate was evaluated by measuring malondialdehyde (MDA) in muscle 1:9 
homogenates (homogenised in physiological saline: 0.9 % w/v NaCl) using the method described by 
Mihara et al. (1980). The reduced glutathione (GSH) content of the 10,000 g supernatant fraction of leg 
muscle homogenate was determined using the method described by Sedlak and Lindsay (1968), while the 
activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) was measured using the method described by Lawrence and 
Burk (1978). Enzyme activity was expressed in units (U=1 nmol). GSH oxidation per min at 25 °C was 
calculated for the protein concentration determined in the tissue homogenate of the 10,000 g supernatant 
fraction using Folin-Ciocalteu phenol reagents (Lowry et al., 1951). 
The total lipids were extracted from the tissue samples using the method proposed by Folch et al. 
(1957), and saponified and methylated using boron trifluoride as the methylating agent (Morrison and 
Smith, 1964). The fatty acid methyl ester composition was analysed using a gas chromatography system 
(Shimadzu 2010, Kyoto, Japan) equipped with an SP-2380 type fused silica capillary column (30 m×0.25 
mm i.d., 0.25 μm film, Supelco Inc., Bellefonte, USA). Helium was used as the carrier gas. The split ratio 
was 50:1. The injection port temperature was 270ºC and the detector temperature was 300ºC. The oven 
temperature was set at 80ºC for 5 min. The temperature was subsequently increased by 2.5ºC/min to 
205ºC and maintained for 5 min, and then increased by 10ºC/min to 250ºC and maintained for a further 
5 min. The fatty acids were identified by comparing retention times with recognized external standards 
(Qualimix FA: Cat.No. 4-7057; Supelco Inc., Bellefonte, USA) and presented as weight percentages of 
determineded fatty acid methyl esters.
effect of selection on fatty acids in leg Meat
17
Statistical analysis
Statistical evaluation of the data was performed using the paired LSD test (Statsoft Inc., 1993).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The malondialdehyde content of the hind leg meat homogenate did not show significant differences 
between the plus and minus variants of the first and second generation (Table 1), contrary to our earlier 
findings in the first generation (Balogh et al., 2007). This suggests that current nutrient supply and specific 
environmental factors may also affect the lipid peroxidation rate in muscles, as well as genetic factors 
(Gray et al., 1996, Lopez-Bote et al., 1998). The biological antioxidant defence system, particularly 
the parameters measured for the glutathione redox system, reduced glutathione content and glutathione 
peroxidase activity, were also unaffected by the selection process (Table 1). This means that selection 
did not seem to affect the synthesis and/or oxidation of reduced glutathione and, furthermore, had no 
effect on glutathione peroxidase activity. These results are also different from our previous results (Mézes 
et al., 2006) in the first divergent selection generation, where significant differences were found in the 
glutathione peroxidase activity of hind leg meat homogenates. This difference supports our previous 
proposal that, as well as the lipid peroxidation rate, the amount and/or activity of the glutathione redox 
system varied, depending on nutritional factors, such as methionine and/or cysteine supply for glutathione 
biosynthesis (Wang et al., 1997) and selenium supply for glutathione-peroxidase (Toyoda et al., 1989) 
biosynthesis, and environmental factors. The fatty acid composition of hind leg meat depends on the fatty 
acid composition of the diet (Maertens et al., 2008) but, according to the results of the present study, 
it differed significantly only for a number of individual fatty acids (Table 2) in the divergent selected 
lines which were investigated. In the second CT-based divergent selection generation the percentage of 
palmitoleic acid (C16:1 n-7) was significantly lower in the plus variant progenies compared to the minus 
variants. This significantly lower percentage of the above mentioned monounsaturated fatty acid in the 
plus variant progenies also has a significant effect on the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids. There 
were no significant differences for the individual polyunsaturated fatty acids in either the first or the second 
generation. These results are similar to those of Ramírez et al. (2005), who describes similar changes in 
the fatty acid composition of rabbit hind leg meat after selection for higher growth rate. Also the total 
SFA and total PUFA percentages showed no differences between the plus and minus variant groups in 
both generations. The n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio was relatively high, due to the high proportion of linoleic 
acid (C18:2n-6c), and our results were higher than the results (5.39, 11.6, 11.47 and 10.67) published 
by Maertens et al. (2008), Dalle Zotte (2002) and Ramírez et al. (2005). However, the n-6/n-3 ratio 
GSH GSHPx MDA
P×P 1.30±0.11 1.65±0.15 6.03±1.54
PP×PP 1.31±0.20 1.68±0.27 6.07±2.66
M×M 1.33±0.28 1.81±0.42 5.72±1.61
MM×MM 1.36±0.28 1.79±0.29 5.49±1.25
GSH: reduced glutathione (mmol/g muscle), GSHPx: glutathione peroxidase (U/g 10,000 g supernatant fraction protein content of 
muscle homogenate), MDA: malon-dialdehyde (mmol/g muscle ), P×P: progenies of plus variant parents, PP×PP: progenies of plus 
variant grand-parents and parents, M×M: progenies of minus variant parents, MM×MM: progenies of minus variant grandparents 
and parents.
Table 1: Changes in the lipid peroxide and glutathione redox state of hind leg meat as an effect of selection 
(mean±SD).
Mézes et al.
18
decreased slightly, but not significantly, as an effect of selection, although there were no differences 
between the minus and plus variants in the two generations. 
In conclusion, divergent selection for hind leg muscle volume did not affect the lipid peroxide and 
glutathione redox system of leg meat, but caused some changes in its fatty acid composition. These 
changes were significant in the case of palmitoleic acid only. This could indicate that selection for higher 
hind leg volume seems not affect rabbit meat quality.
M×M P×P MM×MM PP×PP
C10:0 (capric) 0.04±0.02 0.05±0.01 0.04±0.01 0.05±0.02
C12:0 (lauric) 0.06±0.03 0.08±0.05 0.07±0.02 0.09±0.05
C14:0 (myristic) 1.69±0.54 1.80±0.64 1.43±0.36 1.70±0.84
C14:1n-5cis (myristoleic) 0.18±0.06 0.19±0.07 0.16±0.05 0.14±0.03
C15:0 (pentadecanoic) 0.49±0.12 0.57±0.12 0.47±0.07 0.58±0.19
C16:0 (palmitic) 27.46±6.63 27.01±3.88 24.79±4.79 25.18±4.87
C16:1n-7cis (palmitoleic) 2.25±0.69b 2.06±0.84ab 2.24±0.78b 1.07±0.26a
C17:0 (heptadecanoic) 0.72±0.13 0.79±0.12 0.73±0.08 0.79±0.20
C18:0 (stearic) 9.00±1.14 9.01±0.48 8.39±0.71 8.80±1.22
C18:1n-9cis (oleic) 25.38±3.35b 24.38±2.96ab 25.28±2.95ab 20.97±1.68a
C18:2n-6cis (linoleic) 25.90±9.01 27.32±4.30 29.71±6.81 33.62±3.09
C18:3n-6cis (γ-linolenic) 0.09±0.02 0.06±0.03 0.09±0.03 0.10±0.03
C18:3n-3cis (α-linolenic) 1.47±0.70 1.48±0.38 1.79±0.73 2.33±0.62
C20:0 (arachidic) 0.15±0.02 0.17±0.11 0.17±0.01 0.15±0.02
C20:1n-9cis (eicosenoic) 0.39±0.07 0.30±0.09 0.27±0.12 0.25±0.12
C20:2n-6cis (eicosadienoic) 0.48±0.21b 0.47±0.12ab 0.23±0.16a 0.46±0.15ab
C20:3n-3cis (eicosatrienoic) 0.51±0.31 0.45±0.27 0.39±0.21 0.44±0.34
C20:3n-6cis (eicosatrienoic) 0.11±0.04 0.07±0.01 n.d. 0.07±0.01
C20:4n-6cis (arachidonic) 3.70±2.15 3.82±2.91 3.88±1.70 3.32±2.42
Total SFA 39.60±8.50 39.45±4.81 35.95±5.62 37.29±5.80
Total MUFA 28.20±3.82b 26.93±3.59ab 27.95±3.61b 22.43±1.74a
Total PUFA n-3 1.98±0.97 1.93±0.45 2.78±0.75 2.77±0.55
Total PUFA n-6 30.28±11.26 31.69±6.98 33.91±7.93 37.52±5.15
Total PUFA 32.20±12.22 33.62±7.37 36.10±8.59 40.28±5.43
SFA/PUFA 1.66±1.49 1.24±0.42 1.08±0.45 0.95±0.25
n-6/n-3 17.11±5.02 16.57±1.90 15.93±2.66 13.90±3.02
Table 2: Means and standard deviation of fatty acid content in hind leg meat (g/100 g detemined fatty acid) 
depending on selection.
P×P: progenies of plus variant parents, PP×PP: progenies of plus variant grandparents and parents, M×M: progenies of minus variant 
parents, MM×MM: progenies of minus variant grandparents and parents, SFA: saturated fatty acids, MUFA: monounsaturated fatty 
acids, PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids, n.d.: not detected 
a,b Different superscript letters in the same row means significant difference at P<0.05.
effect of selection on fatty acids in leg Meat
19
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EFFECTS OF DIVERGENT SELECTION FOR HIND LEG MUSCLE VOLUME ON ITS LIPID PEROXIDE AND GLUTATHIONE REDOX STATUS, AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION IN GROWING RABBITS

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EFFECTS OF DIVERGENT SELECTION FOR HIND LEG MUSCLE VOLUME ON ITS LIPID PEROXIDE AND GLUTATHIONE REDOX STATUS, AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION IN GROWING RABBITS

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