Title : Impact of environmental stress on homeostatsis and meat composition in dromedary and rabbit
Abstract:
Growing consumer expectations regarding nutritional composition, quality, and food safety have increased global consumption of farmed meat. However, environmental stressors, including heat stress and transportation, as well as animal handling, significantly alter their homeostasis and meat quality parameters, including pH, water-holding capacity, and storage stability. In addition, post-mortem procedures such as refrigeration and cooking have a major impact on meat quality preservation. This literature review analyzes the impact of stress induced by different factors and handling before slaughter on homeostasis and meat composition, and the anti-stress and antioxidant effects of black cumin seed oil (NO) in dromedaries and rabbits, using the results provided by our recent work carried out in these thematics. The results reported in this review highlight that these two animal species are subjected to more stressful situations, which begin at the farm and then at the market, and continue with loading, transportation, distance traveled, stocking density during transportation, unloading, waiting time in slaughterhouses, deprivation of food and water, and the method of slaughter. These conditions do not meet international animal welfare standards resulting in a significant alteration of homeostatsis and meat quality of these species. This review also highlights the anti-stress and antioxidant potential of NO in these two animal species. Indeed, at the blood level, NO reduces cortisol, glucose and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio and increases the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx). At the meat level, NO reduces MDA, thiols, ultimate pH, water losses during storage and cooking, and increases CAT, SOD and the sensory score. All the results of the reported work could guide future research with the aim of optimizing the animal welfare of dromedaries and rabbits before slaughter, preserving the quality of their meat and respecting consumer health. Legislation on welfare at all stages of the pre-slaughter process, and the use of nigella seeds as a dietary supplement for a few weeks before slaughter are recommended in these species.
Keywords: Stress indicators, Blood, Meat, Oxidant stress, Nigella, Morocco
