Effect of sex on carcass yield and meat quality of guinea pig

Meat Quality of Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus) Fed with Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal (Hermetia illucens) as a Protein Source

The most widely used feed ingredients in the world are fishmeal and soybean, which, despite having high-quality digestible protein and good fat content, are considered environmentally unsustainable and increasingly expensive. This issue also involves the guinea pig, a very important animal protein source for people in Andean regions in South America. Here we investigate the substitution of soybean meal with 50% and 100% black soldier fly larvae meal in the guinea pig diet and its effects on meat quality (fatty acid profile, amino acid profile, water-holding capacity, pH, proximal composition, and color). The results showed no differences in the protein content and amino acid profile of meat nor in the n-6:n-3 and P/S ratios, but did show an increment in the desirable fats (mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids) in the guinea pigs fed with black soldier fly larvae meal. All the other analyzed parameters showed no differences among the diets tested. These results suggest that total replacement of soybean meal with black soldier fly larvae meal in guinea pig nutrition is feasible since meat quality was maintained or improved.

The contribution of fisheries and aquaculture to the global protein supply

The contribution of aquatic animal protein to the global, animal-source protein supply and the relative importance of aquaculture to capture fisheries in supplying this protein is relevant in assessments and decisions related to the future of aquatic food production and its security. Meat of terrestrial animals, milk, and eggs resulted in 76,966 Kt crude protein compared with 13,950 Kt or 15.3% from aquatic animals in 2018.While aquaculture produced a greater tonnage of aquatic animals, capture fisheries resulted in 7,135 Kt crude protein while aquaculture yielded 6,815 Kt. Capture fisheries production has not increased in the past two decades, and aquaculture production must increase to assure the growing demand for fisheries products by a larger and more affluent population. We estimated based on status quo consumption, that aquaculture production would need to increase from 82,087 Kt in 2018 to 129,000 Kt by 2050 to meet the demand of the greater population. About two-thirds of finfish and crustacean production by aquaculture is feed-based, and feeds for these species include fishmeal and fish oil as ingredients. Aquaculture feeds require a major portion of the global supply of fishmeal and fish oil. An estimated 71.0% of fishmeal and 73.9% of fish oil are made from the catch with the rest coming from aquatic animal processing waste. The catch of small, pelagic fish from the ocean is not predicted to increase in the future. Aquaculture should reduce its fishmeal and oil use to lessen its dependency on small wild fish important to the integrity of marine food webs and food security for the poor in many coastal areas. Fishmeal and fish oil shortages for use in aquaculture feed will result in a limit on production in the future if goals to lessen their use in feeds are not met.

Nutritive Value and Physical Properties of Neo-Tropical Rodent Meat-with Emphasis on the Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

This review will focus on the nutritive characteristics of meat from neo-tropical rodents which have not yet been domesticated. These rodents include the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), and the lappe (Agouti paca). Information about the meat characteristics of these rodents were obtained from peer reviewed journal articles. Literature was obtained using search engines such as Google Scholar, Uwi linc, and Pub Med Central. Keywords used in the searches were "capybara", "Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris", "agouti", "Dasyprocta leporina", "Agouti paca/Cuniculus paca", lappe", and "meat proximate analysis". Over four decades of literature was searched, spanning from the 1970s to 2020. There is a vast amount of information on the meats of the capybara, but limited information on the lappe, and there is a dearth of information on the agouti. Capybara meat is considered to be highly nutritious, with high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), low levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA), low levels of fats and cholesterol. The animals that were reared in conditions which were similar to their habitat had lower levels of SFA. Diet, age, confinement, and sex had an effect on the chemical composition of the meat of the capybara. On average, capybara meat had a moisture content of 75%, protein 22%, ash 1.5%, and lipid 1%. During the authors' search of the literature, no information was found on the proximate composition of the lappe or agouti meat. Information regarding the fatty acid profile of lappe meat was found, as well as a description of the physical characteristics of agouti and lappe meat. The physical parameter shows that the lappe has the most tender meat of the three rodent species, while the agouti has the least tender meat, and the capybara being intermediary. Neo-tropical rodent meat is highly nutritious, and is an excellent protein alternative for the growing population of the world. These animals are adapted to challenging environments and can grow well using locally available feed resources. However, further research needs to be conducted on the proximate analysis on lappe and agouti meat to fully inform consumers about its nutrient value.