IMPACT OF TURMERIC-GARLIC-GINGER POWDER AND THEIR COMBINATIONS ON CHOLESTEROL, TRIACYLGLYCEROL, HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS AND LOW DENSITY LIPOPROTEINS OF RABBIT MEAT

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of turmeric (Tr), garlic (Ga), ginger (Gn) powder and their combinations on cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high density and low density lipoproteins of rabbit meat. Forty-eight weaner rabbits (8 weeks) were randomly allotted into eight dietary groups designated T1 to T8 in a completely randomized design. T1 contained 0% phytobiotic, T2, T3 and T4 contained 0.6% Tr, Ga and Gn powder respectively, T5, T6 and T7 contained combination of 0.3% each of Tr+Ga, Tr+Gn and Ga+Gn while T8 contained 0.2% each of the three. Data were collected on cholesterol, triacylglycerol, HDL and LDL. There was an increase in cholesterol concentration associated with feeding phytobiotic blends in 3gGaGn (65.40 mg/g) when compared to Control and 6gTr meat samples where a reduced values of 37.70 and 44.53 were recorded. However, meat samples from 3gTrGa had elevated triacylglycerol of 183.30 while Control, 6gTr, 6gGa and 6gGn had comparable reduced values (66.87, 107.57, 100.70 and 110.77 respectively). Data pooled for HDL showed significant (p< 0.01) increase in 3gTrGa (40.65) and 3gGaGn (41.10) while 6gTr and 6gGn groups recorded minimal value of 25.27 and 27.20 HDL respectively. Elevated LDL concentration was recorded in 3gTrGa (23.27mg/g) as compared to Control (9.87), 6gTr (10.87) and 3gTrGn (10.47) where a comparable lower LDL were recorded. It was concluded that dietary phytobiotics improved rabbit meat quality and 6g turmeric is recommended for lower meat cholesterol while combinations (turmeric and or garlic) at 3g will increase the nutritional composition, evident with higher HDL.