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    <front>
        <journal-meta>
            <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">VETZOO</journal-id>
            <journal-title-group>
                <journal-title>Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</journal-title>
            </journal-title-group>
            <issn pub-type="epub">2669-2511</issn>
            <issn pub-type="ppub">1392-2130</issn>
            <issn-l>2669-2511</issn-l>
            <publisher>
                <publisher-name>Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</publisher-name>
                <publisher-loc>Tilžės str. 18, Kaunas, LT-47181, Lithuania</publisher-loc>
            </publisher>
        </journal-meta>
        <article-meta>
            <article-id pub-id-type="publisher-id">VETZOO1275</article-id>
            <article-categories>
                <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
                    <subject>Article</subject>
                </subj-group>
            </article-categories>
            <title-group>
                <article-title>Influence of Maca (Lepidium meyenii) on selected chemical and technological parameters of rabbit meat</article-title>
                <subtitle>Feed additive in rabbit nutrition</subtitle>
            </title-group>
            <abstract>
                <p>The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with maca (Lepidium meyenii) root powder on selected chemical, nutritional, and technological parameters of rabbit meat, focusing on musculus vastus lateralis (MVL) and musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD). Fifty-four adult male rabbits of the Nitra breed were divided into three groups: a control group without supplementation and two experimental groups receiving 0.3% (E1) and 0.6% (E2) maca root powder in the feed ration for 13 weeks. In the MLD muscle, protein content was significantly higher in group E2 compared with both the control and E1 groups. The content of omega-6 fatty acids was also significantly increased in group E2, while no differences were observed in saturated, monounsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids. In both muscles, the pH values of meat during storage were significantly lower in E2 compared with the control. Meat colour was also affected, with higher yellowness (b*) values observed in experimental groups after storage. No significant differences were detected in lipid oxidation parameters among groups. Overall, maca supplementation, particularly at 0.6%, enhanced the nutritional quality of rabbit meat by increasing protein and omega-6 fatty acid content, without compromising oxidative stability.</p>
            </abstract>
            <kwd-group>
                <label>Keywords</label>
                <kwd>rabbit meat</kwd>
                <kwd>maca (Lepidium meyenii)</kwd>
                <kwd>protein content</kwd>
                <kwd>fatty acids</kwd>
                <kwd>meat quality.</kwd>
            </kwd-group>
            <contrib-group>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Vizzarri</surname>
                        <given-names>Francesco</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:francesco.vizzarri@nppc.sk">francesco.vizzarri@nppc.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="940ff6c6-d9c2-4bce-b60e-f96c6cb67474"/>
                    <xref ref-type="corresp" rid="cor2">*</xref>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="940ff6c6-d9c2-4bce-b60e-f96c6cb67474"/>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Herc</surname>
                        <given-names>Peter</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:info@foodtechnologyconsulting.sk">info@foodtechnologyconsulting.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="2126f53f-31fa-4446-81db-93163cdabc6a"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="2126f53f-31fa-4446-81db-93163cdabc6a">
                    <institution>Food Technology Consulting, HERC TRADE s.r.o.</institution>
                    <city>Hontianske Tesáre</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Dvorníky 105</addr-line>
                    <post>962 68</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Kisova</surname>
                        <given-names>Aneta </given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:xlelakova@uniag.sk">xlelakova@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="0838c9f4-d566-497e-882b-73ccb66d5585"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="0838c9f4-d566-497e-882b-73ccb66d5585">
                    <institution>Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Institute of Animal Husbandry, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku </addr-line>
                    <post>949 76 </post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Spevakova</surname>
                        <given-names>Ivana</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:ivana.spevakova@nppc.sk">ivana.spevakova@nppc.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="7dc1500e-ff78-4b3f-b53a-e298d40f2363"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="7dc1500e-ff78-4b3f-b53a-e298d40f2363">
                    <institution>Department of Nutrition and Small Farm Animals, Research Institute for Animal Production in Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre</institution>
                    <city>Luzianky</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Hlohovecká 2</addr-line>
                    <post>951 41 </post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Bucko</surname>
                        <given-names>Ondrej</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:ondrej.bucko@uniag.sk">ondrej.bucko@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="2ccbd7e7-1265-4db0-96af-e0a5d9ee3d19"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="2ccbd7e7-1265-4db0-96af-e0a5d9ee3d19">
                    <institution>Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Institute of Animal Husbandry, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76 </post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Tokarova</surname>
                        <given-names>Katarina</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:katarina.tokarova@uniag.sk">katarina.tokarova@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="5e216f28-2aa1-4f7b-8c9f-1d4f75aeb565"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="5e216f28-2aa1-4f7b-8c9f-1d4f75aeb565">
                    <institution>Institute of Applied Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Tirpak</surname>
                        <given-names>Filip</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:tirpakf@missouri.edu">tirpakf@missouri.edu</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="7dab95f0-b1c0-4510-a662-daa89d5300b7"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="7dab95f0-b1c0-4510-a662-daa89d5300b7">
                    <institution>Institute of Applied Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Cech</surname>
                        <given-names>Matej</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:matej.cech@uniag.sk">matej.cech@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="da36f48e-b06c-4bbd-ac30-3d59adb3d211"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="da36f48e-b06c-4bbd-ac30-3d59adb3d211">
                    <institution>Research Centre AgroBioTech, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76 </post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Jurcaga</surname>
                        <given-names>Lukas</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:lukas.jurcaga@uniag.sk">lukas.jurcaga@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="446ecf09-45c5-438d-867d-3e34f3678345"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="446ecf09-45c5-438d-867d-3e34f3678345">
                    <institution>Institute of Food Sciences, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Bobko</surname>
                        <given-names>Marek</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:marek.bobko@uniag.sk">marek.bobko@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="18bf2476-9885-4cdb-953c-1196f5d95626"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="18bf2476-9885-4cdb-953c-1196f5d95626">
                    <institution>Institute of Food Sciences, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Valdivia Cuya</surname>
                        <given-names>Martha </given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:mvaldiviac@unmsm.edu.pe">mvaldiviac@unmsm.edu.pe</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="52944765-276b-45ee-8e6f-797253703ad6"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="52944765-276b-45ee-8e6f-797253703ad6">
                    <institution>Laboratory of Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima</institution>
                    <city>Cercado de Lima</city>
                    <country>Peru</country>
                    <addr-line>Av. Carlos Germán Amezaga 375</addr-line>
                    <post>15003</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Massanyi</surname>
                        <given-names>Peter </given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:peter.massanyi@uniag.sk">peter.massanyi@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
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                <aff id="93346700-6d2d-4b28-8e1f-49fd46720d00">
                    <institution>Institute of Applied Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
                <contrib contrib-type="author">
                    <name>
                        <surname>Slanina</surname>
                        <given-names>Tomas</given-names>
                    </name>
                    <email xlink:href="mailto:tomas.slanina@uniag.sk">tomas.slanina@uniag.sk</email>
                    <contrib-id contrib-id-type="orcid"/>
                    <xref ref-type="aff" rid="837d9e21-1286-4642-8d5e-6d4515fc6a13"/>
                </contrib>
                <aff id="837d9e21-1286-4642-8d5e-6d4515fc6a13">
                    <institution>Institute of Applied Biology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra</institution>
                    <city>Nitra</city>
                    <country>Slovakia</country>
                    <addr-line>Tr. A. Hlinku 2</addr-line>
                    <post>949 76</post>
                </aff>
            </contrib-group>
            <history>
                <date date-type="received">
                    <day>19</day>
                    <month>09</month>
                    <year>2025</year>
                </date>
                <date date-type="accepted">
                    <day>20</day>
                    <month>11</month>
                    <year>2025</year>
                </date>
            </history>
            <permissions>
                <license license-type="openAccess" xlink:href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">
                    <license-p>Open access article under the CC BY license</license-p>
                </license>
            </permissions>
            <article-id pub-id-type="doi">256666</article-id>
            <fpage>41</fpage>
            <lpage>50</lpage>
            <issue-title content-type="ISSUE">Volumes 83, Issues 1, (2025): Veterinarija ir Zootechnika</issue-title>
            <volume>83</volume>
            <issue>1</issue>
            <pub-date iso-8601-date="2026-01-15"/>
            <pub-date pub-type="ppub">
                <year>2025</year>
            </pub-date>
        </article-meta>
    </front>
</article>
