Effect of Powder from Different Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam.) Sections on Performance, Blood Indices, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Rabbits

Fruit wastes have been considered as environmental pollution. Jackfruit is a good source of nutrients and bioactive compounds, meaning that its use in animal feed could contribute to waste reduction. The objective of this research was to evaluate the different parts of jackfruit (seed, pulp, and peel) as an agro-industrial waste on the productive parameters, carcass traits, and meat quality of rabbits. For this study, 144 thirty-five-day-old rabbits were randomly divided into four treatments, control (C), 2.5% pulp powder (PY), 2.5% seed powder (SY), and 2.5% peel powder (CY), with six repetitions and 6 rabbits for each repetition. The fattening period was 30 days. The best feed conversion ratios were found in the C, PY, and CY groups (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The highest chilled carcass yield was observed in the PY group (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Similar results were observed for intestinal morphology in all treatments (<i>p</i> > 0.05). The meat color obtained from the PY group had higher whiteness, redness, and chroma values (<i>p</i> < 0.05). Higher taste and general acceptability values for meat were observed in the groups using jackfruit (SY, PY, and CY). It is concluded that the addition of jackfruit peel powders can be used in rabbit feed, as they improve the final weight, feed conversion, carcass yield, and meat texture, while the sensory analysis demonstrates that the meat is well accepted by consumers.