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Herbs and spices inclusion as feedstuff or additive in growing rabbit diets and as additive in rabbit meat: A review
... Recent studies indicate that the use of natural feed additives (such as prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, organic acids, essential oils, antibodies, enzymes) affect the growth, function, and health of living organisms and they have been recognized as antimicrobials, antioxidants, antioxygenic, and antiparasitic (Madhupriya et al., 2018;Morshedy et al., 2021;Brunetti et al., 2022;Vastolo et al., 2022;Wickramasuriya et al., 2022). Moreover, when they are used as additives in animal diets, they can also act as growth promoters since they don't negatively affect animal health or the quality of animal products for human consumption (Falcao-e-Cunha et al., 2007;Akyildiz et al., 2016: Dalle Zotte et al., 2016Brunetti et al., 2022). Owing to the rich rate of high value-added compounds, olive by-products can be employed to enrich other food products directly or indirectly, present lower toxicity, and are free of undesirable residues, compared to inorganic chemicals or antibiotics. ...
... In order to reduce the environmental stress caused by stocking density in Japanese quail, Bahsi et al. (2016) reported that the addition of oleuropein (440 ppm) in the diet increased the body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and PUFA content, emphasizing that oleuropein was effective in mitigating the negative effects of oxidative stress, especially in a stressed state. This situation can be explained by the addition of essential oils to mixed feed, which then regulate the gastrointestinal tract of animals, increase feed intake, and act as protective agents against bacterial diseases (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016;Elazab et al., 2022). Moreover, intestinal microbial integrity is important in protecting the host from pathogen colonization through multiple mechanisms, including competition for epithelial binding sites, production of bacteriocins, and the strengthening of the intestinal immune response (Burkholder et al., 2008;El-Badawi et al., 2018). ...
... Milk is substituted with solid feed while the kits' immune system and digestive systems (caecal microbiota) are still immature (Gidenne et al., 2005;Carabano et al., 2006;De Blas et al., 2012;Cullere et al., 2018). Branciari et al. (2021) Digestive disorders may be derived from infection, bacteria, or parasites or may be described under the term "non-specific enteritis", in which feeding and stress seem to be the principal agents that provoke different clinical symptoms, intestinal lesions, and diarrhoea (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). Thus, preserving the integrity of gut microbiota and intestinal mucosa adequately through dietary strategies is an important target to reduce productive losses. ...
Over the years, the olive oil market has increased considerably due to its organoleptic features and increasing awareness of the beneficial properties of olive products for human health. However, the olive oil production processes generate a variety of wastes and by-products that create serious environmental concerns because of their high phytotoxicity, but also represent an extraordinary potential source of functional compounds, such as polyphenols. This review explored the application of olive by-products as possible functional feed ingredient in rabbit nutrition. The available literature indicates that the manipulation of the rabbit diet is very reliable in producing "enriched meat" and that the bioactive fractions of olive by-products can be used to enhance meat microbial quality, fatty acid profile, and can increase the presence of compounds with natural antioxidant effect, which can exert beneficial effects on gut microbiota and animal welfare. Therefore, supplementing the diet of rabbits with olive by-products could present a sustainable option for valuable biomass, reduce the costs associated with animal feeding, and provide an "eco-green" improvement of meat quality.
... Furthermore, to enhance the quality of chicken, pork, and beef, it is customary to supplement with a-tocopherol (100-200 mg/kg feed). a-tocopherol is an essential part of the skeletal muscle's endogenous antioxidant defense and a major factor in the oxidative stability of biological membranes (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016;Tang et al., 2023). Supplementing with a-tocopherol has many welldocumented benefits, such as protecting fresh meat from discoloration, promoting greater oxidative stability during storage, and reducing the oxidation of proteins, cholesterol, and PUFAs in processed meat products (Estevez and Lorenzo, 2018;Tang et al., 2023). ...
... Supplementing with a-tocopherol has many welldocumented benefits, such as protecting fresh meat from discoloration, promoting greater oxidative stability during storage, and reducing the oxidation of proteins, cholesterol, and PUFAs in processed meat products (Estevez and Lorenzo, 2018;Tang et al., 2023). Significantly, comparable results have been obtained with natural tocopherol-rich feedstuffs, including plant-derived materials (e.g., rooibos, tamarind, moringa, acorns, and olive leaf) and WFBP, which are in line with sustainable practices (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016;Wong et al., 2023;Wang et al., 2024). Whole plants, leaves, seeds, and their extracts are increasingly valued in livestock diets as multifunctional additives, acting as natural antioxidants, color stabilizers, and physiological enhancers (Qi et al. 2022;Tang et al., 2023). ...
The long-term survival of livestock production systems depends critically on the sustainable usage of resource-efficient strategies, such as the supplementation or replacement of conventional feed ingredients (CFI) like maize and soybean with less expensive, more effective, and locally accessible sources. Wild fruits and their byproducts (WFBP) from multipurpose trees (e.g. leaves, seeds) offer a promising low-cost non-traditional alternative dietary source of energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, oxycaretenoids, and bioactive substances that function at a cellular level in livestock. According to research these non-CFI can enhance livestock voluntary intake, digestibility, and overall performance while alleviating the heavy reliance on CFI. Conversely, the use of these alternative feed resources (AFR) necessitates a thorough evaluation of their nutrient composition, antinutritional factors (ANF), and proper inclusion levels. At low appropriate inclusion levels in livestock rations, the availability of optimal crude energy, crude protein content, and availability of necessary amino acids (AA) in these AFR, can be taken advantage of in saving costs and reducing demands for soybean and maize, which are the indisputable CFI for both livestock and man. This review synthesizes the current research status of WFBP looking at their nutritional profiles (energy, protein, minerals, fiber etc.) and their impacts in livestock productivity. Furthermore, this review will address potential processing techniques to lessen their drawbacks like ANF or palatability. By highlighting these issues, this paper seeks to provide a guide for the sustainable incorporation of these AFR into livestock diets, striking a balance between nutritional effectiveness and economic feasibility.
... The exploration of various plant extracts has revealed a diverse array of compounds that hold the potential for enhancing rabbit health and production. Polyphenols, such as those found in grape seed extract and green tea, have been investigated for their antioxidant properties, which may contribute to reducing oxidative stress in rabbits (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016;Koné et al., 2019). Flavonoids, abundant in citrus fruits and Goji berries, have shown promise in improving vascular health and potentially impacting the overall health of rabbits Menchetti et al., 2020). ...
... Notably, the bioactive compounds found in certain extracts contribute to improved feed conversion efficiency, leading to enhanced body weight gain and overall growth. This phenomenon is attributed to the potential of these compounds to optimize nutrient absorption and utilization in the digestive tract (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). ...
Rabbits, integral to global agriculture, play a significant role in meat production in many developed and developing countries. As the demand for sustainable and natural farming practices rises, the utilization of plant extracts and essential oils in rabbit nutrition has garnered attention. Both plant extracts and essential oils offer multifaceted benefits in rabbit nutrition, positively impacting growth, digestion, and immune health. This comprehensive review consolidates the current understanding of the effects of plant extracts and essential oils on rabbit health and digestion, drawing from recent scientific literature. Emphasis is also placed on growth performance, nutrient utilization, immune response, and overall well-being. The outcomes underscore the practical significance of natural feed additives, paving the way for sustainable and resilient rabbit production systems.
... Only enterocin (Ent) A (produced by the Enterococcus faecium EK13/CCM7419 strain) was in vivo tested in Japanese quails [10]. Rabbits are also a significant part of animal food production, and mostly probiotics and herbal extracts are studied as potential feed additives in their nutrition [11][12][13][14]. To extend the knowledge regarding bacteriocin applications in rabbit farms, nisin, gallidermin, and enterocins 4231, 7420, EF55, A/P and M were supplemented to the rabbits' diet alone or in combination with phyto-additives [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. ...
... There is also a growing interest in sage (Salvia officinalis) plants, seeds and extracts for use in animal feeding due to their oil content, which is a source of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA-linoleic and α-linolenic acid). Dietary administration with sage and its extracts/by-products could increase the PUFA content of animal products (eggs, meat [14]). Several previous studies demonstrated that a combined application of enterocins and sage extract did not have a negative influence on the characteristics of rabbit carcasses [25,27]. ...
Rabbit meat has outstanding nutritional characteristics—it is a lean meat with low fat, cholesterol and sodium content, with high-biological-value proteins, potassium, phosphorus, selenium, iron and vitamin B12 level. The dietary inclusion of natural bioactive compounds can improve the quality of rabbit meat. The present study evaluated the effect of enterocin 7420 (Ent 7420) and sage (Salvia officinalis) extract on the quality and mineral content of rabbit meat. A total of 96 Hyla rabbits (aged 35 days) were divided into E (Ent 7420; 50 µL/animal/d), S (sage extract; 10 µL/animal/d), E + S (Ent 7420 and sage in combination) and control (C) groups. Additives were administrated in drinking water for 21 days. A significant increase in meat iron (p < 0.01) content was noted; phosphorus and zinc levels were also elevated in experimental groups, compared with control data. Ent 7420 and sage treatment reduced the calcium and manganese (p < 0.01) contents. The physico-chemical traits of rabbit meat were not negatively influenced by treatment. Based on these results, diet supplementation, mostly with Ent 7420 but also in combination with sage, could enhance the quality of rabbit meat mineral, with a focus on its iron, phosphorus and zinc contents.
... Dentro de estos aditivos se incluyen las hierbas, aceites esenciales y extractos (3) , los cuales contienen compuestos bioactivos (metabolitos secundarios) como alcaloides, fenoles, terpenoides, esteroides, taninos, saponinas, compuestos fenólicos (flavonoides, flavones, isoflavones), antocianinas, lignanos, estilbenos, cumarinos, carotenoides (tetraterpenos), quinonas, entre otros (4) . Dichos metabolitos ejercen diversas funciones como, agentes antimicrobianos, antiparasitarios, antioxidantes, inmunoestimulantes (5) , antifúngicos, antiinflamatorios, antiulcerosos, antivirales, anticancerígenos y en producción animal se comportan como estimulantes del apetito y promotores del crecimiento (6) , ya que pueden actuar sobre el metabolismo de la microbiota intestinal, inhibiendo la replicación de microorganismos patógenos específicos, así como también estimular la producción de enzimas digestivas endógenas, que benefician la salud (7,8) . Existen diversos reportes donde se demuestra el uso de mezclas herbales ricas en derivados de colina en producción animal, donde se ha evaluado la respuesta en la función hepática y productiva en pollos de engorda (9) , el impacto sobre fermentación ruminal en corderos (8,10) , estrés oxidativo y cambios bioquímicos en vacas lecheras (11) , expresión genética y efecto inmunoestimulante en becerras (1) , analitos sanguíneos en corderos como indicadores del metabolismo lipídico (12) . ...
... De acuerdo con los resultados obtenidos, no se presentaron efectos significativos sobre consumo de alimento y ganancia diaria de peso por la adición de mezclas poliherbales, a pesar de que estos aditivos son considerados como aditivos fitogénicos con la característica de estimular la producción de enzimas digestivas como la tripsina y la amilasa, con capacidad para optimizar la absorción de nutrientes y en consecuencia mejorar respuestas productivas y de la canal(6) , sin embargo en este estudio, no se observaron dichos beneficios, situación similar a lo presentado por otros autores(12) , en un estudio realizado en corderos alimentados conjugados de colina a dosis de 0 y 4 g día -1 no se encontró una mejor respuesta en el tratamiento adicionado con respecto al testigo sobre peso final (28.63 -28.68 kg) ni ganancia diaria de peso (106.44 -107.98 kg). Del mismo modo en dos trabajos realizados en conejos empleando diversas plantas no observaron mejoras en los parámetros productivos a pesar de ...
El uso, así como el efecto productivo y económico de compuestos herbales en producción cunícola ha sido poco estudiado, por tal motivo el objetivo fue evaluar el efecto de una mezcla poliherbal rica en conjugados de colina a base de Trachyspermum ammi, Achyranthes aspera, Azadirachta indica y Citrullus colocynthis, sobre la respuesta económica y productiva de conejos para carne. Para lo cual se utilizaron 40 conejos Nueva Zelanda X California (30 días de edad), los cuales fueron aleatorizados en cinco grupos (0.0, 200, 400, 600 y 800 mg kg-1 de MS poliherbal, BioCholina®), el experimento tuvo una duración de 34 días. Se evaluó la respuesta productiva, calidad de la carne e indicadores económicos. Se utilizó un diseño completamente al azar con un arreglo de polinomios ortogonales para determinar efectos lineales y cuadráticos, con un nivel de significancia de P<0.05. Los resultados en cuanto a los parámetros productivos fueron similares entre tratamientos, excepto consumo de alimento (P=0.006) y conversión alimenticia (P=0.005) con un efecto linealmente a mayor concentración del poliherbal. La inclusión del poliherbal incrementó pH en carne (lineal, P=0.004) y coordenada b* (lineal, P=0.009), se observó que el tratamiento con 200 mg presentó los mejores indicadores económicos mejorando en 9 unidades porcentuales la razón ingresos-egresos. Se concluye que la adición de mezclas poliherbales a base de conjugado de colina natural no mejoró las variables productivas, sin embargo, se marca una tendencia económica favorable con la adición de 200 mg kg-1 de MS.
... The terms "phytobiotics", "phytogenics", or "medicinal plants" refer to a class of natural growth stimulants derived from plants, seeds, or herbs that contain biologically active substances and have a variety of biological effects. Therefore, phytobiotics are being utilized more frequently in rabbit nutrition as antioxidants, physiological stimulants, flavorings, digestive aids, and colorants, as well as for the protection and treatment of a variety of enteric pathological disorders (155,156). The study of Cervantes-Valencia et al. (157) revealed that administration of 40 mg aqueous extract of turmeric/kg body weight diminished the Eimeria spp. ...
A great interest toward rabbit’s industry has been developed around the world. This international industry plays an important role in solving the worldwide problem of meat shortage. Serious problems can adversely affect and that threat rabbits farming enterprises. One of these important problems is enteropathy complex which induces severe economic losses. The major bacterial diseases causing enteropathy complex are Clostridium spp. infection, colibacillosis, salmonellosis, and others. These diseases induce high mortalities and severe production losses of rabbitries especially during the pre-waning and just after weaning period of life. Thus, this article was designed to review and highlight the most important and potential bacterial diseases causing enteropathy complex in rabbits with a special emphasis on the Egyptian situation.
... Phytogenic substances are generally regarded as safe in food and feed industries (Elghalid et al., 2020;Kholif and Olafadehan, 2021). Phytogenic compounds have potential antimicrobial effects with multiple mechanisms of action (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). Thus, traditional herbal knowledge heritage includes uses of turmeric, ginger, garlic, Ashwagandh, Shatavari onion, lemongrass Aloe vera, amla etc. in human and animal nutrition. ...
An experiment was conducted during March to April, 2021 at Poultry unit of College of Veterinary and Animal Science, Navania, Vallabhnagar, Udaipur (Rajasthan), India planned to investigate the effect of phytobiotic feed additives viz., garlic, ashwagandha and shatavari as alternatives to antibiotic on feed intake, metabolizability of nutrients and balance study of broiler chicks. A total of 300 day-old broiler chicks (Cobb-400) were involved in the 42-days. The T1 i.e. control group was fed on basal diet, while T2 was supplemented with Oxy tetra cycline (OTC) powder @ 0.1 g kg-1 feed. T3 and T4 were supplemented with Garlic powder @ 0.75% and @ 1.50%. T5 and T6 were supplemented with Ashwagandha powder @ 0.75% and @ 1.50%. T7 and T8 were supplemented with Shatavari powder @ 0.75% and @ 1.50%. T9 was supplemented with Garlic powder @ 0.25%, Ashwagandha powder @ 0.25% and Shatavari powder @ 0.25%. T10 was supplemented with Garlic powder @ 0.50%, Ashwagandha powder @ 0.50% and Shatavari powder @ 0.50%. Feed intake was a highly significant (p<0.01) effect in different treatments groups. Non significant (p>0.05) effects were observed on dry matter and Organic matter metabolizability in different treatment groups. The metabolizability of crude protein, crude fibre and total ash was highly significant (p<0.01) effect and ether extract had a significant (p<0.05) effect due to treatments groups. The balance study of nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus had a highly significant (p<0.01) effect in different treatment groups.
... Rabbit meat also exhibits significant potential as a functional food through dietary enrichment with bioactive compounds [8][9][10][11]. Recent studies have explored the inclusion of nutraceuticals, such as flaxseed and algae-derived products, in rabbit diets. These enrichments have demonstrated substantial improvements in meat quality, particularly by enhancing the n-3 PUFA content [12][13][14][15][16]. ...
This study evaluated the efficacy of an active absorbent pad (aPAD) in reducing microbial growth and enhancing the shelf life of rabbit meat stored in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). Thigh muscles from 60 rabbits were used, divided into three dietary groups: a control group (CNT), a group supplemented with 5% extruded flaxseed (ELS5%), and a group with 3.5% extruded flaxseed and 0.2% Padina pavonica algae (LPP3.5%). Sam- ples were packaged in MAP (70% O2, 30% CO2) with either a conventional pad (nPAD) or aPAD and analyzed at 1, 4, 7, 14, 21 days. Microbiological analysis revealed a signifi- cantly lower total viable count at 21 days in the ELS5%aPAD group. For coagulase-positive staphylococci, the CNTaPAD group showed lower microbial counts at both day 4 and day 21 (p < 0.05). Enterobacteriaceae reductions were observed at 24 h post packaging in both the CNTaPAD and LPP3.5%aPAD groups and at day 14 in ELS5%aPAD. Lipid oxidation (TBARS) was also lower in aPAD samples, particularly in LPP3.5%, which remained below 1.5 mg MDA/kg compared to >2.5 mg MDA/kg in nPAD (p < 0.05). Sensory attributes such as texture and color were better preserved with aPAD. These findings underscore the effectiveness of aPAD in MAP to control microbial growth, limit oxidation, and extend the shelf life of omega-3-enriched rabbit meat, providing a promising solution for functional meat product preservation.
... Researchers have been replacing synthetic antioxidants with natural substances [7]. These substances were obtained from the plant kingdom, one of the most abundant sources of natural antioxidants [8,9]. Natural antioxidants can be incorporated into diets or used as extracts to donate hydrogen ions, thereby inhibiting oxidation and preventing the formation of lipid and protein radicals in food products [10]. ...
Please cite this article as: Almuharib O., Jameel F. R., Yaakop M. Y. The effect of the natural antioxidants extracted from Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) on the cryopreservation of chicken breast meat. ABSTRACT Background: Chicken meat is highly nutritious, valued for its unique properties and versatility in culinary applications.
... 2024, Vol. 25 (3): 75-81 diets is common and widely used in order to improve the utilization of nutrients (Abdel-Wareth et al., 2014). In addition, phytogenic compounds are not only used to control pathogenesis, but also to improve appetite, intestinal microflora, immune functions, oxidative status, growth and carcass traits when included in animal diets (DalleZotte et al., 2016). Considering the affordability of these plant materials, they could be used as growth promoters in the livestock sector worldwide (Upadhyay et al., 2014). ...
A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of clove buds (Syzygium aromaticum) and fenugreek seed (Trigonella foenum graecum) as phytogenic feed additives on the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of weaned rabbits. Seventy-two (72) weaned rabbits of mixed breeds and sexes were used in a 2x4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design (CRD). The rabbits were randomly allotted to 8 treatment groups with nine rabbits per treatment; each treatment comprised of three replicates with 3 rabbits per replicate. Treatment 1 and 5 had no phyto-additive. Treatments 2, 3 and 4 had clove while treatments 6, 7 and 8 had fenugreek. Figures connote number of treatments and inclusion levels of phyto-additives which signifies 0, 100, 200 and 300g and 0, 100, 200 and 300g for clove and fenugreek. Data were collected on growth performance was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) and means were separated using Duncan Multiple Range Test. Significant (P<0.05) main and inclusion effects were observed in feed cost/kg gains measured. However, there was no significant (P>0.05) interaction effect on growth performance of rabbits fed the varying inclusion levels of phyto-additives across the treatments. The highest final weight (1600.90 g) and better feed conversion ratio (4.41) were recorded in rabbits fed 200g fenugreek this is followed by rabbits fed 300g clove having final weights of 1554.20g and feed conversion ration of 5.03. It can be concluded that inclusion of phyto-additives in the diets of weaned rabbits enhanced and gave better growth performance without any adverse effect. Fenugreek at 200g gave better performance.
... In last decades, there are increasing concerns about using phytogenic feed additives as antibiotic alternatives for decreasing development of antimicrobial resistance bacteria and for producing safer animal products with minimal antibiotic residues. Additionally, phytogenic compounds have been reported to improve appetite, intestinal microflora, immune functions, oxidative status, growth and carcass traits when included in animal diets [6]. Considering the affordability of these plant materials, they could be widely used as growth promoters in the livestock sector worldwide [7]. ...
... Furthermore, Ingweye et al. (2020) found that the inclusion of up to 1 % Aidan pod powder (Tetrapleura tetraptera) in diets without antibiotic growth promoters improved the performance of weaned rabbits, however, higher inclusion of this natural product increased abdominal fat yield in these animals. Dalle-Zotte et al. (2016) mentioned that medicinal plants such as fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), lupin (Lupinus albus L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) and khartoum (Cassia senna L.), rich in lipid-soluble secondary metabolites (essential oils) and in the hydroalcoholic extract, have antimicrobial effects in vivo on Clostridium coccoides and Clostridium leptum in rabbits and anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant effects, which benefits the antioxidant capacity of meat and meat products. Likewise, the dietary use of 0.17 and 0.34 % daidzein (isoflavones extracted from soybeans) in breeders improved fertility and increased the weight of the young rabbits at birth and at weaning. ...
In Latin America, subtherapeutic antibiotics are commonly used in
the production of monogastric animals, although their use in rabbits is less relevant than in poultry and pigs. It is known that their use generates bacterial resistance, and they have proven harmful effects on human health. This review addresses the characterization and use of new nutraceutical additives, emphasizing phytobiotics, probiotics, and prebiotics and their effect on the biological indicators of rabbits in different productive categories. These natural alternatives have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunomodulatory and hypocholesterolemic effects, which can stimulate the native microbiota, the production of short-chain fatty acids and can provoke microbial eubiosis and, therefore, improve intestinal health, digestibility, productive efficiency and meat quality of rabbits. Also, they can alleviate the harmful effects of some common bacterial diseases and intoxications. However, the
effectiveness of these natural alternatives will depend on the
probiotic strain used, the main secondary metabolites in phytobiotics and the chemical structure of the prebiotics, as well as the health status, diet, age, and productive category of the rabbits.
... Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of oregano-based products in preserving and improving the quality of meat and meat products, primarily through their antioxidant properties [43]. Oxidative processes are a major cause of quality deterioration in meat, as they negatively affect flavor, color, and nutritional value, ultimately reducing shelf life [44]. Numerous studies have investigated the impact of adding oregano-based products on carcass and meat quality (Table 4). ...
Simple Summary
Oregano essential oil has recently garnered attention for its potential health benefits in both humans and animals. In rabbits, it can significantly enhance performance by promoting overall health and well-being. The active compounds in oregano oil, such as carvacrol and thymol, possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, that support the immune system and protect rabbits from diseases. Additionally, oregano essential oil help regulate gut flora, promoting digestion and nutrient absorption, which enhances rabbit performance. However, proper dilution and dosage are crucial to ensure the safety and effectiveness of oregano essential oil in rabbits. With careful consideration and expert guidance, oregano essential oil can be a valuable natural remedy for supporting rabbit health and performance.
Abstract
Antimicrobials long been used to enhance the performance and immunity of rabbits, typically by adding them to feed or drinking water to prevent illness. However, increasing consumer concerns about antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have led to a shift toward natural, eco-friendly, non-antibiotic feed supplements that can improve rabbit health and productivity. Recently, aromatic herbs and their extracts have gained considerable attention as natural antioxidants with growth-promoting and health-boosting properties. Essential oils and secondary metabolites play a central role in these effects, with Origanum vulgare (oregano) emerging as a standout option. Compared to synthetic alternatives, oregano is a natural, residue-free feed supplement with fewer harmful side effects. Its key bioactive components, thymol and carvacrol, have been shown to deliver significant benefits when incorporated into rabbit diets, particularly in improving production performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity. Supplementing rabbit diets and drinking water with oregano essential oil (OEO) has been found to enhance growth performance, feed efficiency, and meat quality, while also lowering cholesterol levels and boosting antioxidant activity. Despite these promising results, research on the use of oregano in rabbit farming remains limited. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the potential effect of oregano supplements, on growth parameters, carcass and meat quality, hemato-biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, immunity response, gut health, and gene expression in rabbits.
... The use of plant-derived additives has recently garnered considerable scientific interest, mainly due to their contribution to improved poultry health (Reda et al., 2020). Plant extracts can improve the digestive system, nutrient intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), promote immune function, antioxidant, anthelmintic, and antimicrobial activities, as well as increase carcass quality and decrease the mortality rate (Parlat et al., 2005;Dalle et al., 2016). Oils are sometimes used in ration formulation to enhance energy (Ha et al., 2023). ...
The study aims to determine the efficacy of an olive oil-treated diet and key lime juice (KLJ)-treated drinking water on the intake and growth performance of quail. A total of 324 quails were divided into 6 groups: commercial feed (I) as a control group and formulated feed (II-VI) as a treatment group. Formulated feeds were prepared using olive oil, and drinking water was treated with KLJ at 0ml/kg+0ml/L (II), 1.5ml/kg+2.0ml/L (III), 3.0ml/kg+2.0ml/L (IV), 1.5ml/kg+4.0ml/L (V), and 3.0ml/kg+4.0ml/L (VI), respectively. Each group included 54 quails with 6 replicates of 9 birds each. The formulated feed contained lower crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), crude ash (CA), and metabolizable energy (ME), but higher crude fiber (CF) than commercial feed. The treatment groups had no (P>0.05) effect on dry matter, organic matter, or CP intakes. However, there was a higher EE intake in the control group, while a higher CF intake was observed in the treatment group. The control group showed lower water intake than others. Groups IV and V showed higher weight gain than groups II, III, and VI, but no difference was observed in group I. Regarding feed conversion ratio (FCR), groups IV and V showed the lowest and similar values, while group II demonstrated the highest. Considering its positive effects on weight gain and FCR, it can be recommended to add olive oil to the diet and KLJ in water
... Phytogenic feed supplements are substances derived from plants that are added to animal feed to improve growth performance . In addition to increasing antioxidant, antiviral, anthelmintic, and antibacterial properties, active compounds in spices, herbs, and extracted oils can enhance the secretion of digestive enzymes, boost feed intake, and activate the immune system (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). Because of its seductive smell, typically spicy flavor, and tingly sensation, black pepper, BP (Piper nigrum L.), is a well-known spice (Srinivasan, 2007). ...
Supplements derived from plants are utilized to maintain and promote the growth efficiency of animals. The use of black pepper oil (BPO) has recently generated significant scientific interest, primarily because of its potential beneficial effects on both humans and animals. The goal of the current study was to determine how dietary BPO supplementation affected growth performance, characteristics of growing quails' immunity, antioxidant status, and carcass yield. A total of 240 growing quails (1 week old) were divided into five equal groups, each with 36 birds (four replicates of 12 each). A basal diet containing no BPO (0 g kg−1) was given to the first group, and the second, third, and fourth groups were given a diet that was supplemented with BPO (0.4, 0.8, 1.2, and 1.6 g kg−1, respectively). In comparison to a control group, quails' diets that were supplemented with 0.8 g BPO kg−1 showed improvements in final live body weight, body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of 10.68 %, 12.6 %, and 18.2 %, respectively. During the whole study period (1 to 5 weeks), quails fed diets with 0.8 g BPO consumed less feed than the other groups and control. Due to BPO treatment, there were no statistically significant changes in any of the carcass parameters. BPO-supplemented groups had significantly elevated plasma levels of albumin and globulin than control groups (P < 0.05), but the albumin/globulin ratio was reported to be significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in birds supplemented with diets containing BPO compared to the control group. When compared to the control, the liver enzyme activity (aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT)) in blood plasma was reported to be significantly increased in the quails given 0.4 and 0.8 g BPO kg−1. Glutathione and catalase activities were significantly higher in the group given diets supplemented with BPO (1.2 g kg−1) than they were in the control group. In comparison to the control, the supplementation of BPO in the diets of quail significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) the lipid profile in the plasma, moreover decreasing the caecal content pH (P < 0.05). In comparison to the control, the populations of lactobacilli, coliform, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli in the caecum significantly decreased in the BPO-supplemented groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary BPO supplementation in Japanese quails' diet can boost growth performance and antioxidant indices, enhance lipid profile and carcass traits, and reduce intestinal infections.
... Plants manufacture a wide variety of low molecular weight secondary metabolites that help in defense against pathogens as well as minimize physiological and environmental stress. Flavonoids, glucosinolates, and isoprene derivatives constitute most of these active secondary metabolites (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). ...
Herbal feed additives are increasingly significant in sustainable livestock production due to the restriction on the usage of antibiotics as boosters of growth, and increasing awareness of the detrimental residual effects of antibiotics. The incorporation of herbal feed additives is becoming increasingly important in animal husbandry because they are inexpensive, have no adverse consequences, and prevent the application of some antibiotics. Feed additives, also known as probiotics and manufactured from many kinds of plants across nearly a hundred plant families are utilized, primarily as flavorings or zootechnical additions. Medicinal plants showed the capacity of plants bioactive substances such as phenolics, phytochemicals, polyphenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, polysaccharides, tannins, essential oils, etc. These secondary metabolites of plants accelerate the growth of animals, improve nutrient digestion and absorption, enhance feed status and animal feed intake, modulate immune status, reduce oxidative stress through antioxidant properties, modulate gut microflora, and improve the egg and meat quality of animals. Dietary supplementation is a valuable approach in preventing and treatment of many diseases and for improving people's welfare since it makes use of food components that are abundant, low in toxicity, and inexpensive.
... These counts significantly increase as expected over the storage period (Cavalheiro et al., 2021, Barbosa et al., 2022. In vitro, the antibacterial activity of LVL extract against coliform bacteria and total staphylococcal count was identified in studies, although this action was not noticed when administered to meat samples (Emiroğlu et al., 2010, Dalle Zotte, Celia and Szendrő, 2016, Pisoschi et al., 2018, de Miera et al., 2022. ...
This study aims to determine the influence of adding lemon verbena leaf (LVL) extract on meat samples’ physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties. The ethanolic extracts (LVL-1, LVL-2, LVL-3, and LVL-4) revealed higher (p ≤ 0.05) content of phenolics and flavonoids than the aqueous extract (LVL-5). Then, LVL-1 extract was selected for antioxidant activity (DPPH) analysis (75.73%). LVLs’ ethanolic extracts at concen-trations of 0.0%, 0.5%, and 1.0% were added to meat samples. Redness parameters and organoleptic properties were significantly affected. However, LVL-1.0% was more efficient in reducing microbial growth up to day 12 of the storage period; therefore, 0.5% LVL reduced discoloration and lipid oxidation without affecting organoleptic properties. Cooking yield and hardness were decreased effectively at a concentration of LVL-1.0%. LVL extract effectively delayed the lipid oxidation of meat samples. Redness parameters were affected, and this was also noted in sensory analysis. Adding 0.5% (LVL-0.5%) revealed high efficiency in retarding lipid oxidation and improv-ing color stability in meat samples. In addition, no significant difference in sensory characteristics was identified between the experimental group and control treatments. Despite the beneficial effects on the fat peroxidation of meat patties, no level of LVL extract could delay microbiological degradation during storage at 4°C for 12 days. In this context, LVL extract is an alternate technique for producing meat and meat products with lower synthetic conservatives. Therefore, adding 0.5% LVL extract reduced discoloration and lipid oxidation without impacting sensory parameters, making it a viable option for processing meat samples. Finally, because no significant impacts (p ≥ 0.05) were found during the storage period when higher concentrations were utilized (LVL-1.0 %), the addi-tion of LVLs (LVL-0.5%) is more recommended for application in meat and meat products.
... There was a drawback: A. platensis plus thyme had a negative effect on cellulose and on crude protein digestibility, impairing the rabbit diet's digestible protein content [127]. The authors suggested testing the effects of A. platensis and/or thyme on health status under poorer sanitary conditions [128]. ...
With the increasing rate of the antimicrobial resistance phenomenon, natural products gain our attention as potential drug candidates. Apart from being used as nutraceuticals and for biotechnological purposes, microalgae and phytoplankton have well-recognized antimicrobial compounds and proved anti-infectious potential. In this review, we comprehensively outline the antimicrobial activity of one genus of cyanobacteria (Arthrospira, formerly Spirulina) and of eukaryotic microalgae (Dunaliella). Both, especially Arthrospira, are mostly used as nutraceuticals and as a source of antioxidants for health supplements, cancer therapy and cosmetics. Their diverse bioactive compounds provide other bioactivities and potential for various medical applications. Their antibacterial and antifungal activity vary in a broad range and are strain specific. There are strains of Arthrospira platensis with very potent activity and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 2–15 µg/mL against bacterial fish pathogens including Bacillus and Vibrio spp. Arthrospira sp. has demonstrated an inhibition zone (IZ) of 50 mm against Staphylococcus aureus. Remarkable is the substantial amount of in vivo studies of Arthrospira showing it to be very promising for preventing vibriosis in shrimp and Helicobacter pylori infection and for wound healing. The innovative laser irradiation of the chlorophyll it releases can cause photodynamic destruction of bacteria. Dunaliella salina has exhibited MIC values lower than 300 µg/mL and an IZ value of 25.4 mm on different bacteria, while Dunaliella tertiolecta has demonstrated MIC values of 25 and 50 μg/mL against some Staphylococcus spp. These values fulfill the criteria for significant antimicrobial activity and sometimes are comparable or exceed the activity of the control antibiotics. The bioactive compounds which are responsible for that action are fatty acids including PUFAs, polysaccharides, glycosides, peptides, neophytadiene, etc. Cyanobacteria, such as Arthrospira, also particularly have antimicrobial flavonoids, terpenes, alkaloids, saponins, quinones and some unique-to-them compounds, such as phycobiliproteins, polyhydroxybutyrate, the peptide microcystin, etc. These metabolites can be optimized by using stress factors in a two-step process of fermentation in closed photobioreactors (PBRs).
... However, rabbit is a species that produces excellent meat, including nutritional characteristics and potential health properties, with this meat and its derivatives considered as functional foods due to their functional compounds [2]. One of the benefits of this species is that it can be fed with different fibrous material, parts of herbs and spices as alternatives to additives or ingredients [3]. In addition, feed costs associated with producing rabbit meat are high which is why alternatives are being sought ...
Simple Summary
Rabbit meat is considered as a functional food. But, there are few studies directed to determine the influence of natural additives from farm to the table. This study was performed using a fruit obtained from Pithecellobium dulce to follow its effect in rabbits from farm to a fresh meat product. The use of this fruit at 5% of the diet increased the dry and organic matter digestibility of the diet and improved feed conversion rate. Also, it increased acceptance of meatballs prepared with rabbit meat obtained from that animal’s feed.
Abstract
Pithecellobium dulce produces a fruit used in alternative medicine that could be utilized to feed rabbits. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of the P. dulce fruit on productive performance, carcass traits, meat characteristics, and meat product quality as well as shelf-life. Seventy-two California × English pot crossbreed rabbits (35 d age) were randomly distributed into two treatments: a control group without P. dulce and another group fed with 5% of P. dulce, and fattening for 28 d. Productive performance parameters, blood biochemistry and hematology, apparent digestibility, carcass traits, meat characteristics, and meat product shelf-life were measured. The results indicate inclusion of 5% P. dulce improves (p < 0.05) dry and organic matter digestibility and feed conversion rate, but some serum blood enzymes were increased (p < 0.05). The a* value, hardness, and pH decreased (p < 0.05) in the group fed with P. dulce. Antioxidant properties in the meatballs were different (p < 0.05), improving shelf-life and acceptance in sensory analysis. In conclusion, the use of 0.5% of P. dulce fruits to feed fattening rabbits can be used to improve the shelf-life of rabbit meat.
... The terms "phytobiotics," "phytogenics," or "medicinal plants" refer to a class of natural growth stimulants derived from plants, seeds, or herbs that contain biologically active substances and have a variety of biological effects (Al-Homidan et al., 2020). Thus, phytobiotics are being utilized more frequently in rabbit nutrition as antioxidants, physiological stimulants, flavourings, digestive aids, and colorants, as well as for the protection and treatment of a variety of pathological disorders (as reviewed by Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). The focus in this point will be concentrated in the recent studies. ...
Weaned rabbits become extremely vulnerable to enteric infections as a result of ban of using antibiotics as growth promoters. Recently, there are a growing interest in natural alternatives of antibiotics that could be used in rabbit production. Nutraceuticals are dietary components that offer additional health benefits override their nutritive benefits. Nutraceuticals include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, fatty acids, medicinal plants, etc. Due to its potential impacts on maintaining the normal physiological status, strengthening the immune system, and preventing illness, which ultimately led to an increase in productivity, nutraceuticals have recently attracted a lot of attention in rabbit farms. The objective of the present review is to provide information on recent findings about the advantages of dietary supplementation of nutraceuticals on performance, digestibility, meat quality, antioxidative properties, and immunological response in rabbits.
... The terms "phytobiotics", "phytogenics", or "medicinal plants" refer to a class of natural growth stimulants derived from plants, seeds, or herbs that contain biologically active substances and have a variety of biological effects. Thus, phytobiotics are being utilized more frequently in rabbit nutrition as antioxidants, physiological stimulants, flavorings, digestive aids, and colorants, and for the protection and treatment of various pathological disorders, as reviewed by Dalle Zotte et al. [127]. The focus on this point will be concentrated in the recent studies. ...
Heat stress has become a widespread concern worldwide, which is a major environmental stress that causes substantial economic loss in the rabbit industry. Compared to other agricultural animals, rabbits are more sensitive to heat stress as they have fewer sweat glands and a thicker coat of fur, increasing the heat dissipation complexity. Thus, heat stress hurts rabbits’ productivity, meat quality, reproductive performance, antioxidative properties, immune responsiveness, intestinal histomorphology, and microbiome. Nutraceuticals include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, organic acids, fatty acids, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, and medicinal plants due to the possible impacts on maintaining common biological situations, strengthening immune response, and preventing illness, which ultimately led to an increase in productivity. Nutraceuticals have recently attracted a lot of attention to alleviate the adverse impacts of heat stress in rabbit farms. The objective of the current review is to provide acquaintance with the recent findings about the impact of heat stress on rabbit productivity and the advantages of dietary supplementation of nutraceuticals in mitigating it.
... This phenomenon delays the onset of the oxidation process in lipids [49]. In the meantime, meat and meat products are rich in iron, which activates self-oxidation [50]. Moreover, the values along the storage time (10 days) don't exceed the recommended value (100 meq. ...
Essential oils of Mentha piperita, Punica granatum, Thymus vulgaris and Citrus limon in olive oil as a carrier were mixed with biopolymer chitosan to prepare nanoemulsions. The formulations were prepared using the following ratios: 0.5:0.5:4, 1:1:4, and 2:3:4 of chitosan: essential oil: olive oil, respectively, representing 12 formulations based on four essential oils. Based on the characterization of nanoemulsions, M. piperita, T. vulgaris, and C. limon oils produced the smallest droplets. However, P. granatum oil produced high droplets size. The products were evaluated in vitro for antimicrobial activity against two pathogenic food bacteria, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimunium. The in vivo antibacterial activity was further investigated on minced beef meat during storage at 4 °C for ten days. Based on the MIC values, E. coli was more susceptible than S. typhimunium. Chitosan was more effective as an antibacterial than essential oils (MIC = 500 and 650 mg/L against E. coli and S. typhimunium). Among the tested products, C. limon had a more antibacterial effect. In vivo studies proved that C. limon and its nanoemulsion were the most active products against E.coli. These results suggest that chitosan-essential oil nanoemulsions may help extend the shelf life of meat by acting as antimicrobial agents.
... Por lo que, la adaptación o ajustes fisiológicos de estas aves producen alteraciones en diversos órganos, baja viabilidad y disminución de su rendimiento productivo (Sandoval et al., 2003;Díaz, 2012), causando preocupación en los avicultores, quienes buscan alcanzar óptimos parámetros productivos en ganancia de peso y conversión alimenticia para obtener mayor rentabilidad (Sindik et al., 2008;Carvajal, 2016). El uso de extractos vegetales contribuye al desempeño de las aves aumentando la ganancia del peso corporal y mejorando la ingesta y conversión del pienso (Guo et al., 2004;Barreto, 2007;Peinado, 2015); estos productos naturales se pueden obtener de hierbas, plantas, especias, algas y hongos o setas (Dalle et al., 2016). Entre las alternativas se encuentran los hongos Basidiomicetos superiores; cuyos componentes nutritivos y medicinales son importantes para la regulación de las funciones fisiológicas en el hombre (Cohen et al., 2014); como el hongo Ganoderma lucidum, utilizado en la medicina tradicional china por sus propiedades para combatir enfermedades, preservar la salud y aumentar la vitalidad en humanos (Sanodiya et al., 2009). ...
The demand for quality and safety in poultry meat can be achieved by affecting overall performance with the supply of functional nutrition, which decreases metabolic stress, lipid peroxidation, and dangerous metabolomes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the physiological performance, the productive parameters and the economic profitability when including Ganoderma powder extract. lucidum in drinking water. 480 one-day-old BB Cobb500 chickens were evaluated for 49 days under intensive rearing. A completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 4 repetitions was applied, corresponding: Without extract, 6mg/kg/pv , 12 mg/kg/pv and 18 mg/kg/pv , for 7 consecutive days of weeks 1, 2, 4th and 6th. The hematological and metabolic profile was determined on days 1, 8, 29, 42 and 50 of age. The results were evaluated by ANOVA and Tukey's test; being the greatest positive effect of Ganoderma lucidum supplementation with 18 mg/kg/bw , showing statistical significance (p < 0.05) for body weight, weight gain, feed intake and conversion, mortality, hemoglobin and transaminases. It was concluded that the inclusion of the fungus Ganoderma lucidum in the diet improves the physiological, productive and economic performance of broiler chicken.
... However, due to their complex digestive physiology, rabbits are susceptible to enteric diseases, mainly in the post-weaning period [2]. Therefore, antibiotics (e.g., zinc bacitracin) are frequently used in feeding growing and fattening rabbits to improve productive performance and reduce mortality caused by digestive disorders [3]. Unfortunately, due to the uncontrolled use of antibiotics, a rapid increase in microbial resistance to these drugs has been reported worldwide, compromising the health of humans and animals [4]. ...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation with bee pollen (BP) and propolis (PRO) on productive performance, Eimeria oocyst counts in feces, blood metabolites, and the meat quality of growing rabbits. A total of 160 hybrid rabbits (California × New Zealand) of 30 days of age and 643 ± 8.0 g body weight (BW) were assigned to four treatments with 10 replicates each (four rabbits/replicate). The treatments were as follows: (1) CON: rabbits fed basal diet and not supplemented with BP or PRO; (2) BP500: CON + BP (500 mg/kg BW); (3) PRO50: CON + PRO (50 µL/kg BW); and (4) BP + PRO: CON + BP (500 mg/kg BW) + PRO (50 µL/kg BW). Higher daily weight gain (p = 0.04) and lower feed conversion rate (p = 0.03) were observed in rabbits supplemented with PRO50. In addition, supplementation with PRO50 and BP + PRO reduced the amount of Eimeria oocysts per gram of feces (p < 0.05). Most hematological and serum biochemical parameters were similar in rabbits of all treatments. Protein content, collagen, and meat color were similar between treatments. In conclusion, propolis supplementation (50 µL/kg BW) can prevent coccidiosis and act as a natural growth promoter in rabbits without affecting animal health and meat quality.
... The limitations of certain chemical drugs and weight promoters have increased digestive disorders and the occurrence of death in rabbits. However, many herbs are known to have anticoccidial and antioxidant effects in rabbits and can reduce their consumption of chemicals [7]. ...
Simple Summary
The purpose of this study was to determine how effective nanoparticles made from Litchi chinensis peel extract are at treating rabbit hepatic coccidiosis. Thirty-five rabbits were separated into seven groups: infected, healthy, pretreated rabbits infected after two weeks of treatment with 10 mg/kg L. chinensis peel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs and post-treated rabbits infected before treatment with 50 mg/kg amprolium. The findings showed that L. chinensis peel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs are a novel and safe therapy for Eimeria stiedae infection in rabbits.
Abstract
The present study used Litchi chinensis peel extract to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). This technique is eco-friendly and can be performed in a single step; thus, it has attracted great attention for NPs biosynthesis. Herein, we biosynthesized AgNPs with L. chinensis peel extract and examined their anticoccidial activity in rabbit hepatic coccidiosis induced by E. stiedae infection. Thirty-five rabbits were allocated into seven groups: a healthy group (G1), an infected control group (G2), four groups infected before treatment with 10 mg/kg L. chinensis peel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs (G3, G5) or 50 mg/kg amprolium (G4, G6), and rabbits infected after two weeks of pretreatment with 10 mg/kg L. chinensis eel extract-biosynthesized AgNPs (G7). In this study, both pre-and post-treatment with AgNPs produced a substantial reduction in fecal oocyst output, liver enzyme levels, and histopathological hepatic lesions relative to the infected group. In conclusion, L. chinensis peel extract-prepared AgNPs should be considered harmless and efficient in the cure of hepatic coccidiosis in rabbits.
... This antioxidant activity is due a to the presence of phenolic or flavonoid compounds in the extracts (Wang et al. 2020). Plant extracts can be added as a supplement in rabbit feed as described by Dalle Zotte et al. (2016) and Shah et al. (2014) who used ethanolic, methanolic and aqueous extract from different plants including grapefruit, ginger and peppermint. ...
This study was conducted to determine the influence of Dalbergia palo-escrito hexane extract supplemented to rabbits on productive performance, blood biochemistry, haematology, carcase traits, meat characteristics and meatballs shelf-life. A hexane extract of D. palo-escrito was obtained from leaves of the tree. Average feed consumption daily gain, average daily weight gain, total weight gain and feed conversion ratio, length body, lumbar circumference, carcase traits, texture profile analysis, meat colour, antioxidant properties, water activity as well as shelf life of meatballs (Total viable bacterial counts, staphylococcus counts, enterobacteria counts, antioxidant activity, pH and water activity) were determined. Feed conversion rate was lower (p < 0.05) in group feed with hexane extract (1.89 and 1.54, for control and hexane extract, respectively). Also, hexane extract decreases feed intake and weight gain. Hot dressing percentage was higher (p < 0.05) in the hexane extract group (48%) than the control group (47%), but the main carcase cuts were similar (p > 0.05) between groups. L* value was lower (p < 0.05) in the hexane extract group (51.2 vs 49.4, for control and hexane extract, respectively). The meatballs prepared with the meat obtained from the hexane extract group showed a lower (p < 0.05) total viable bacterial count after 14 d of storage in refrigeration conditions (8.45 and 4.75 CFU.g⁻¹, for control and hexane extract group, respectively). D. palo-escrito hexane extract decreases productive performance, it is possible that albumin: globulin rate indicates a liver damage, but there no was effect on carcase and meat quality and it increased the shelf life of meatballs.
• Highlights
• Extracts of Dalbergia palo-escrito have bioactive compounds
• Dalbergia palo-escrito could be used to feed rabbits
• Meatballs increase shelf-life
... Artichokes are also considered a rich source of vitamins C and K, as well as of microelements such as calcium, iron and zinc [67]. The byproducts extracted from artichokes can be used as fiber supplements in the functionalization of products [64] or they can be used as functional food or feed additives for animals [69,70]. Artichoke bracts are a good source of bioactive molecules. ...
Rising global populations and enhanced standards of living in so-called developing countries have led to an increased demand of food, in particular meat, worldwide. While increasing the production of broiler meat could be a potential solution to this problem, broiler meat is plagued by health concerns, such as the development of antimicrobial resistance and lower meat quality. For this reason, the supplementation of poultry feed with vitamins and antioxidant compounds, such as polyphenols, has become an attractive prospect for research in this sector. Such supplements could be obtained by extraction of agricultural byproducts (in particular, grape pomaces and artichoke leaves and bracts), thus contributing to reductions in the total amount of waste biomass produced by the agricultural industry. In this review, the effects of poultry feed supplementation with bioactive extracts from grape pomace (skins and/or seeds), as well as extracts from artichoke leaves and bracts, were explored. Moreover, the various methods that have been employed to obtain extracts from these and other agricultural byproducts were listed and described, with a particular focus on novel, eco-friendly extraction methods (using, for example, innovative and biocompatible solvents like Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs)) that could reduce the costs and energy consumption of these procedures, with similar or higher yields compared to standard methods.
... According to (Rotolo et al., 2013), the growth performances of animals fed diets supplemented with aromatic plants like OEO were higher than those of animals in the control group, with the OEO supplemented group achieving the highest final body weight. Our findings are also in consistent with those of (Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). On the other hand, (Botsoglou et al., 2004;Soultos et al., 2009) found that dietary oregano essential oil addition at concentrations of 0, 100, or 200 mg kg-1 diet had no significant effects on all rabbit performance parameters. ...
... There have been many publications on the use of herbs and spices (i.e., nettle and fenugreek) in rabbit nutrition and their effect on growth, health, and meat quality [6][7][8]. Nettle leaves are a source of easily digestible minerals, such as calcium (853-1050 mg/100 g dry weight), phosphorus (50-265 mg/100 g dry weight), iron (2-200 mg/100 g dry weight), sulfur (400 mg/100 g DM), potassium (532-613 mg/100 g DM), and sodium (16-58 mg/100 g DM). In addition, they contain vitamin C (20-60 mg/100 g dry weight), vitamin K (0.16-0.64 mg/100 g dry weight), and B vitamins [9,10]. ...
Simple Summary
Herbs can be a good supplement in an animal diet. With the current increase in the use of herbs and herbal preparations as an animal feed additive, it is very important to monitor the contaminants present in plants, i.e., heavy metals, and to study their content in animal tissues. The toxicity of heavy metals, whether essential or not, depends on several factors including the dose in feed (food), a route of exposure, and sex. Hence, it seems advisable to determine the effect of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) leaves and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds in the feed on the content of selected heavy metals in the liver and meat of the rabbit, and determine differences in sex in metal accumulation. The experiment was conducted at University of Agriculture in Krakow (Poland) in the Experimental Station of the Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding, and Ethology. The research material consisted of Termond White rabbits. Until weaning (on the 35th day of life), young rabbits with does were housed in wooden cages. From weaning until the 84th day of life, rabbits were kept in wire metal cages. Three experimental groups were created: the control group (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed ad libitum with a complete feed. The animals from group N (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) were fed a complete mixture with added 1% nettle leaves. The rabbits from the group F (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) were fed with a complete mixture with added 1% fenugreek seeds. The experiment lasted 7 weeks (from 35th to 84th day of the rabbits’ life). All rabbits were slaughtered on the 84th day of age, with an average body weight of 2546 ± 47 g. Samples of liver were taken during the slaughter. Then, the carcasses were cooled for 24 h at 4 °C, and after that time, a sample was taken from the right loin (m. longissimus lumborum) of each carcass. The concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd) was determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The additives to the feed significantly affected the content of elements in both the liver and the meat of the rabbits (p < 0.05). The highest level of the heavy metals, regardless of the used diet, was recorded in the liver. The meat and the liver of rabbits fed with herbal fodder contained less tested metals than in animals fed with fodder without additives. Moreover, more essential metals were found in the liver of rabbits fed with fenugreek than rabbits fed with nettle (p < 0.05). In the meat and liver of rabbits, the permissible content of cadmium and lead was not exceeded. Additionally, male livers had a significantly higher content of copper and manganese compared to female livers (p < 0.05). This experiment helps to explain the interaction between the heavy metal content of nettle and fenugreek and their content in rabbit meat and liver. The meat (m. longissimus lumborum) and liver of rabbits fed with herbal feed contained fewer tested metals than in animals fed with the feed without additives. Concentrations of toxic metals, i.e., Pb and Cd in liver and meat, were so low that meat consumption does not pose a threat to human health. However, more research is needed to determine how the mechanisms and pathways of heavy metal toxicity act on tissue in which these metals are accumulated.
Abstract
The literature on herbal additives for rabbit feed offers little information on the use of nettle and fenugreek. Both of these herbs are valuable sources of vitamins and minerals. These herbs affect the growth, health, and meat quality of rabbits. They regulate the digestive system, stimulate the appetite, have a positive effect on the functioning of the immune system, and exhibit antibacterial activity. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) leaves or fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds in the feed on the content of selected heavy metals in the liver and meat of the rabbit. The rabbits were divided into three groups: group C (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed ad libitum with a complete feed, N group (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed a complete mixture with 1% added nettle, and group F (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed with a complete mixture with 1% added fenugreek. The experiment lasted 7 weeks (from the 35th to the 84th day of the rabbits’ lives). All the rabbits were slaughtered on the 84th day of age, with a body weight of about 2.6 kg. The concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd) was determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The additives to the feed significantly affected the content of elements in both the liver and the meat of rabbits (p < 0.05). The highest level of the heavy metals, regardless of the used diet, was recorded in the liver (p < 0.05). The meat (m. longissimus lumborum) and the liver of rabbits fed with herbal fodder contained less tested metals than in animals fed with fodder without additives (p < 0.05). Moreover, more essential metals were found in the liver of rabbits fed with fenugreek than rabbits fed with nettle. In the meat and liver of rabbits, the permissible content of cadmium and lead was not exceeded. Additionally, male livers had a significantly higher content of copper and manganese compared to female livers (p < 0.05). It is important to study the content of heavy metals in the used animal herbal feed additives and their interaction with each other, as they affect the distribution of elements in tissues and organs.
... In cuniculture, a very important health problem exists after animals are weaned, they show digestive disturbances that can cause infections; these disturbances are perhaps caused by dietary changes and the stress of weaning . Various medicinal plants have been investigated as potential dietary sources of bioactive compounds with antioxidant or antimicrobial activity or as nutritional additives or supplements (Zeng et al., 2015;Dalle Zotte et al., 2016). These plants include ginger (Bhandari et al., 1988;Ibrahim et al., 2011;Mancini et al., 2018;Abdel-Gabbar et al., 2019), epazote (García-Vázquez et al., 2020), Tithonia tubaeformis (Zepeda-Bastida et al., 2019), bilberry pomace (Dabbou et al., 2017), oregano, rosemary (which contains vitamin E; Cardinali et al., 2015), onion, bilberry, and strawberry and their extracts (Kone et al., 2016). ...
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ginger as an additive in the diet of fattening rabbits. Sixty weaned rabbits (35 days old) were randomly assigned to four groups (n = 15). Animals were fed ad libitum with a control diet or one of three experimental diets supplemented with 0.5, 1, and 2 g of ginger per 100 g of feed during 28 d. Weight gain in the final week of the experiment was significantly greater in rabbits fed ginger at 0.5 g/100 g of feed than in those fed ginger at 1 and 2 g/100 g of feed or the control diet. No significant differences in morphometric measurements were observed among the treatments, but higher values of live weight, carcass length, and carcass circumference were observed in rabbits treated with ginger than in those fed the control diet. Regarding carcass quality parameters involving the kidneys and empty gastrointestinal tract, we found that rabbits treated with ginger at 0.5 g/100 g of feed showed significant differences from those treated with ginger at 1 and 2 g/100 g of feed or the control diet. pH, water holding capacity, L*, and a* did not significantly differ among the treatments, although greater water holding capacity was observed in rabbits treated with ginger than in control rabbits. Parameter b* was significantly higher in rabbits fed ginger at 2 g/100 g of feed than in those fed at 0.5 and 1 g/100 g of feed and in the control. The results found suggest that ginger can be used as an additive in diets of fattening rabbits.
... Although numerous in vitro studies have shown the antioxidant properties of thyme extracts (14,16), respective experimental in vivo evidence is still limited, particularly in the case of rabbits. A series of trials using dietary thyme or its extract have been carried out to study its efficacy in stabilizing lipid oxidation and improving the quality of rabbit meat (17,18). Placha et al. (19) showed that dietary inclusion of thyme essential oil may improve antioxidant status as well as the intestinal integrity of rabbits. ...
This study was aimed at determining the impact of organic zinc (Zn) and thyme extract (TE) administration, given alone or together for 6 weeks, on the antioxidant and mineral status (Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn) in the plasma and tissues of growing rabbits. A total of 96 rabbits of age 35 days were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups: a control group (C), a Zn group supplemented with dietary zinc (50 mg/kg), a TE group receiving thyme extract applied in drinking water (1 ml/L), and a Zn + TE group treated with both additives. Lipid peroxidation in the plasma was influenced by Zn intake and in the kidney was affected by both the Zn and TE treatment (P < 0.05). Zn supplementation led to a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activity (P = 0.017), total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.009) and total thiol groups level (P = 0.047) in the kidney, with the highest values occurring in rabbits receiving the combination Zn + TE. Administration of TE influenced Zn content in the kidney (P < 0.001), while zinc intake decreased Cu concentration in muscle (P = 0.021). In conclusion, the simultaneous administration of organic Zn and TE positively affected the antioxidant response of kidneys and can be used for improving the antioxidant status of growing rabbits.
... Plants and spices offers wide range of bioactivities, including animal breeding and increased nutrient availability. As compared to some antibiotics or inorganic chemicals, they have low toxicity, are free of unwanted residues, and act as growth promoters in animal diets, including rabbit feed (Dalle-Zotte et al., 2016). Spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) is an aromatic plant often used in the traditional medicine for antispasmodic, stomachic, and diuretic purposes, due to the presence of antioxidants and other phenolic compounds which contribute to its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties (Padmini et al., 2010). ...
The objective of the present work was to evaluate the effects of the administration of spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) infusion into drinking water (0, 5, and 10 g.L⁻¹) in rabbits during 28 days of fattening on the microbiological and lipid stability of the end meat product, as well as the evaluation of meat and carcass quality. The rabbits were sacrificed, and the quality of the carcass and meat was evaluated. Once the meat was obtained, burger patties were made, which were then subjected to microbiological and physicochemical evaluation through the application of various treatments for 14 days. The results did not show an effect on the quality of the carcass; however, for the infusion treatment with 5 g of spearmint, the previous portion corresponding to the skeletal muscle, longissimus dorsi, was greater than the control treatment. Regarding the meat quality, the hardness parameter of the texture profile analysis was higher in the control and treatment with 5 g of spearmint. The microbiological analysis on day 0 showed that there was no growth of Staphylococcus in the treatments with spearmint infusion as compared to the control; the enterobacterial count at day 7 was higher in the control group than in the treatments with spearmint infusion; and on day 14, the total viable count was higher in control than in the treatments with spearmint infusion. In the physicochemical analysis, only the colour (L*, a*, and b*) showed significant differences in the parameters at 0 and 14 days for the control. In conclusion, the spearmint infusion in drinking water for fattening rabbits could influence the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of the end meat product, and could be considered as an alternative for improving the lipid and microbiological stability of rabbit meat products.
... Além do potencial antioxidante, também são utilizados para prolongar o tempo de prateleira das carnes e a integridade do tecido dos animais. Alguns desses alimentos são inseridos de formas diferentes, as ervas e especiarias (Orégano, Rosemary, Própolis, Erva-doce, Rooibos, Tomilho, Sumagre entre outros) e os extratos também podem ser adicionados aos produtos cárneos durante e após os processamentos com o intuito de garantir uma maior durabilidade dos nutrientes e do alimento (Dalle Zotte, Celia & Szendro, 2016). ...
A utilização de aditivos fitogênicos na alimentação animal surgiu com a necessidade de substituição dos aditivos tradicionais e os promotores de crescimento, que foram proibidos para utilização pela União Europeia há alguns anos e no Brasil recentemente. Desde então, vários trabalhos foram realizados para diversas espécies da produção animal, de modo que atualmente os aditivos fitogênicos mais utilizados são os óleos essenciais, extratos, ervas, especiarias e frações vegetais que incluem cascas, folhas, raízes, sementes e outros. Estes aditivos são compostos por várias substâncias bioativas de natureza química variada, exercendo funções positivas sobre o organismo dos animais. Na cunicultura, são utilizadas principalmente para melhorar o funcionamento do sistema digestório, reduzir desafio sanitário e promover maior digestibilidade de nutrientes. Além de melhorar a nutrição, o consumo, estimular a digestão e o desempenho, o uso de substâncias bioativas reduz a incidência de doenças, melhora os parâmetros reprodutivos, atuam como antifúngicos, anti-helmínticos, antivirais, antimicrobianos, anticoccidianos e antioxidantes. Devido a esses benefícios, o objetivo desta revisão é abordar os diferentes tipos de compostos fitogênicos e substâncias bioativas utilizadas na produção de coelhos dando enfoque na reprodução, bem-estar e qualidade da carne.
... A carne é um alimento rico em água o que está relacionada com as suas caracteristicas como a suculência, cor e a textura são fatores que influenciam diretamentemente na qualidade da carne. Alguns fatores são responsavéis pela qualidade final da carne e o teor protéico como a idade do animal, a raça e as condições de abate (RIBEIRO et al 2018) De acordo ainda com Ribeiroet, al (2018)A gordura está atrelada aos aspectos sensoriais e de palatabilidade da carne, o percentual de gordura é o substrato para o desenvolvimento do processo oxidativo em produtos cárneos. ...
Em 2021, ainda em meio a crise social gerada pela pandemia causada pelo Coronavírus, que levou a população a manter um distanciamento social, o CIAGRO foi planejado, conduzido e vivenciado dentro do cenário crescente de temas que envolvem a agroindústria mundial. Com o tema norteador “Inovação Gestão e Sustentabilidade na Agroindústria” o CIAGRO 2021 contemplou o que há de mais moderno para a agroindústria na atualidade. O Congresso Internacional da Agroindústria - CIAGRO 2021 é um evento, concebido no âmbito das atividades desenvolvidas no Programa Internacional Despertando Vocações para as Ciências Agrárias (PDVAgro) e realizado pelo Instituto Internacional Despertando Vocações (IIDV) que tem compromisso com a democratização do conhecimento e com uma educação de qualidade. O e-book volume 02 do CIAGRO 2021, está dividido em 31 capítulos que enfatiza os diversos elos da agroindústria, evidenciando alternativas para o desenvolvimento de pesquisas, desafios e expectativas para a cadeia produtiva dos alimentos, dividindo experiências nas áreas de Controle de qualidade e segurança dos alimentos e Análises sensoriais, físico-químicas e microbiológicas de alimentos. O CIAGRO 2021 teve como objetivo discutir os caminhos e visões referentes à aplicabilidade de toda a cadeia produtiva do alimento, no cenário nacional e internacional, e além disso trouxe a divulgação de conteúdos e resultados de pesquisas; estabelecendo trocas de experiências entre indivíduos do Brasil, de diferentes instituições, e do exterior; estimulando a geração de novas redes de cooperação multicêntricas entre a indústria e a área acadêmica e de pesquisa, contribuindo com o enriquecimento na formação de estudantes e profissionais, que atuam nos diferentes setores da agroindústria em diferentes países.
... However, 2 g kg −1 had reduced beneficial effects on different performance variables Orzuna-Orzuna et al., 2019). This could indicate that the concentration of plant metabolites, such as terpenes, phenols, polyphenols, carotenoids, oligosaccharides, and vitamins, must be precise to obtain benefits from these phytogenic growth promoters (Cardinali et al., 2015;Dalle et al., 2016). Nevertheless, Jouany and Morgavi (2007) concluded that these metabolites in greater amounts could cause negative or toxic effects in the organism (Jouany & Morgavi, 2007). ...
The objective was to characterize the effects of a supplemental Herbal Antibiotics Source (HAnS) on performance, blood chemistry, blood cells, and antibody counts of Holstein calves. Forty calves (initial BW 45.8 ± 7.2 kg) were randomly assigned to treatments: 0, 3, 4, and 5 g d⁻¹ HAnS. The additive improved hip height and thoracic girth. The reduction of starter diet intake among individuals varied greatly, while milk replacer intake increased. HAnS at intermediate doses reduced the cases of pneumonia. It also linearly reduced the blood serum glucose and B-OH butyrate. Urea and monocytes showed a quadratic response, and basophils decreased. HAnS improves calf development at intermediate doses and reduces the incidence of diseases.
Consumers nowadays are interested in natural, healthy foods made from animals, and they often even want to pay more for them. Also, the European Union’s restriction on the non-therapeutic use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal nutrition has stoked interest in using natural alternatives as dietary components in animal nutrition. This ban is intended to limit the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The discovery of antibiotic substitutes to preserve or enhance animal health and performance has been the subject of much investigations. Prebiotics, probiotics, organic acids, bacteriocins, and phytobiotics are examples of natural feed additives that can meet these needs and fulfill the growing demand for natural products among customers. The most researched and advanced compounds that are often employed as dietary antibiotic alternatives in rabbit nutrition are the topic of this chapter.
Los productos y subproductos agrícolas han mostrado gran relevancia en las últimas décadas, debido a que lejos de ser considerados desechos y en algunos casos contaminantes, pueden ser utilizados como materia prima o insumos para la generación de productos con valor agregado, o bien, utilizados como alternativas en el tratamiento de enfermedades y en la nutrición animal; estas acciones, por consiguiente, reducen el impacto ambiental de dichos compuestos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el estado del arte del aprovechamiento biotecnológico de los productos y subproductos agrícolas, para generar una perspectiva que contribuya al desarrollo sostenible del país. Con los resultados obtenidos podemos concluir que existe un potencial viable para utilizar los productos y subproductos agrícolas en las diversas actividades de la medicina veterinaria y la zootecnia.
Chinese medicine is widely employed in illness prevention and treatment. In recent years, the increased demand for Chinese medicine resources has resulted in a large quantity of waste created during industrialization. However, traditional methods for treating herbal residues, including burning, stacking, and burying, can cause significant environmental damage and resource waste. Furthermore, these application approaches have a low level of resource utilization and a low degree of utilization. Therefore, developing a classification management system is a necessary precondition for reusing Chinese herb residues for medicinal, feed, fertilizer, and energy resource reuse. This paper reviews the potential applications of Chinese herb residues in the extraction of active resources, composting, feed addition, bioethanol preparation, and pyrolysis to biochar, bio‐oil, and fuel gas. Overall, this work provides a foundation for further investigation into the high‐value usage model and resource reuse pathway of Chinese herb residues.
Bu çalışma Van YYÜ Ziraat Fakültesi deneme arazisinde 1 Nisan ve 20 Nisanda ekimi yapılan çemen bitkisinden elde edilen kuru otlar üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ekimler sırasında, nodozide bakteri inokulantı ve Diamonyumfosfat (DAP), Kentsel arıtma çamuru (KAÇ), Humik Asit (HA), Çiftlik gübreleri (ÇG) uygulanmıştır. Çalışmada Gürarsan çeşidi çemen (Trigonella foenum graecum L.) bitkisinin kuru otlarının besin maddesi içeriklerinin ve in vitro sindirim değerlerini belirlemek amaçlanmıştır. Elde edilen çemen otlarının kuru madde (KM), ham kül (HK), organik madde (OM), ham protein (HP), nötral deterjan fiber (NDF), asit deterjan fiber (ADF) değerleri ve in vitro KM, HK ve OM sindirimleri tespit edilmiştir. Çalışma sonunda edilen bulgular değerlendirildiğinde, 20 Nisanda, bakteri uygulaması yapılarak, Humik asit içeren gübre kullanılması hayvan besleme açısından besin madde içerikleri görece daha iyi olan çemen otlarının elde edilebileceği söylenebilir. İn vitro sindirim değerleri dikkate alındığında ise 1 Nisanda ekimi yapılan çemen bitkisine bakteri uygulaması ve DAP gübresi kullanılmasının daha iyi olacağı kanaati oluşmuştur.
Unique properties of Amaranthus hypochondriacus have been extensively utilized in the recent time worldwide both in food technologies and husbandry. An intensive growth of Amaranthus hypochondriacus plants has been made in Ukraine there and, respectively, production of foods based on amaranth is growing, however no research on its use for feeding rabbits is available. Therefore, the study aimed to review the impact of Amaranthus hypochondriacus on slaughter features of rabbits, meat quality including those under storage conditions. The California race rabbits of 60 days age were divided into two groups, 28 animals in each. The rabbits in the study group were fed (by adding to the basal diet) with 20% of amaranth oilcake. The rabbits were slaughtered at age of 120 days. The following key features of meat output and quality performance were determined: pH, moisture content, water-holding capacity, cooking losses, protein and cholesterol content as well as change in pH, microorganisms count, and moisture loss percentage during 9-day storage in chilled state. Amaranthus hypochondriacus effect on the rabbit live weight, hot carcass weight, dressing out percentage, percentage ratio of heart, kidney, liver, lung weight to carcass weight, рН, moisture content, water-holding capacity, and meat morphological structure was determined. Reduction in cholesterol level by 15.07% (р < 0.05) in the meat of rabbits that were fed with Amaranthus hypochondriacus was detected. pH and drip loss percentage were not significantly different among the groups in the shelf-life period. However, it was found out that growth of microorganisms in the meat of rabbits that were fed with Amaranthus hypochondriacus was slowed down: microorganisms count was 1.65 and 1.71 (р < 0.05) times lower than in the control group on the 6th and 9th days of storage, accordingly. The low-cholesterol and bacteriostatic effects of amaranth oilcake in the rabbit nutrition may significantly increase dietary properties of rabbit meat. Use of amaranth oilcake for rabbit fattening has great potential and further studies including the mechanism of antibacterial effect of A. hypochondriacus on the rabbit meat are required
diets on growth performance. 30 rabbits from New Zeeland breed, on 55 days of age (±2) were randomly allocated to three experimental groups for 47 days (until reach 2100g of body weight). The experimental design consisted of three dietary treatments: 1) control group received standard compound feed-unsupplemented; 2) the first experimental group (M3) received diet supplemented with 3% thyme leaves powder instead of alfalfa hay; 3) the second experimental group (M5) received diet supplemented with 5% thyme leaves powder instead of alfalfa hay. Individual rabbits' body weights were recorded weekly. Feed intake and feed conversion rate were determined weekly per group. Carcass characteristics were determinate at the end of the trail. The results of this study have shown that thyme inclusion at level up to 3 or 5% did not adversely affect rabbit's performance.
A two-way experimental design, comprising a total of 180 growing commercial cross-bred 30-day-old rabbits were assigned to five groups (36 kits in each group equally distributed between the sexes, with twelve replicates of 3 rabbits) was adopted to investigate the effects of dietary treatment (cinnamon and cloves supplemented at 150 and 250 mg/kg diet each) and sex on rabbit growth performance, carcass characteristics, hematological and biochemical indices. The first group was given a basal diet with no supplements as the control, the second and third groups were given cinnamon at 150 and 250 mg/kg diet, respectively. In turn, the fourth and fifth groups were administered cloves at 150 and 250 mg/kg diet, respectively. Treatment with cinnamon and clove powder supplements significantly increased live body weight (LBW), live body weight gain (LBWG) and feed consumption (FC). Also, it significantly increased red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), plasma total protein, albumin and globulin levels. The treatment with both supplements led to a significant decrease in feed conversion ratio (FCR), as well as levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Rabbits fed 250 mg cinnamon/kg diet had the highest LBW, LBWG, FC, dressing percentage, meatiness and plasma total protein, but had lowest levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, AST and ALT compared to the other groups. It was concluded that cinnamon supplement at 250 mg /kg diet may be an effective method to improve growth, carcass characteristics and health in both sexes of growing rabbits thanks to its advantageous effect on blood picture and biochemical constituents and consequently may be the primary factor promoting abundant production.
Currently, in animal nutrition, the replacement of synthetic substances with natural ones was expected to improve animal health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a dietary brown seaweed and plant polyphenol mixture in adult male rabbits on the haematological profile and antioxidant markers. Twenty-four adult male rabbits were divided into three experimental groups receiving a control diet (C) or diets supplemented with 0.3% (T1) and 0.6% (T2) of a feed additive containing brown seaweed (Laminaria spp.) and plant extracts of seaweed origin. The trial lasted for 90 days. A lower potassium concentration was observed at 30 days in the T2 group, compared with the T1 and C groups. An increase in the antioxidant status was observed (P < 0.05) from day 60 of the trial in the rabbits fed diets with an algae-polyphenolic supplement (T1 and T2 groups). Concluding , the diet supplementation of brown seaweed and polyphenol stimulates the antioxidant status of the blood, however, it does not affect the haematological profile.
Background: The prohibition of the use of antibiotics in lamb feeding requires the search for natural alternatives that can improve productive performance and ruminal fermentation parameters. Herbal mixtures can function as cost-effective substitutes for growth promoters since an extraction or purification process is not required. Methods: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Chebulic myrobalan, Terminalia bellirica and Azadirachta indica on the productive performance of finishing lambs. Thirty-six Hampshire x Suffolk male lambs (initial body weight (BW) 23.52±3.67 kg), in individual crates, were used for 45 days of evaluation after 15 days adaptation and were randomly assigned to treatments which consisted of dietary inclusion of the feed plant additive at 0.000, 0.250, 0.375 and 0.500% of dry matter (DM). Rations were sampled for DM, ash and crude protein (AOAC, 2005), neutral and acid detergent fibre (according to van Soest, 1991) analysis and metabolizable energy was estimated. The animals were weighed on days 1, 15 and 45 before feeding and the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate were calculated by daily recording of the dry matter intake. Contrasts no orthogonal were used to test linear or quadratic effects of the herbal mixture with initial body weight (BW) as a covariate for ADG and final BW. Result: There was no effect (P greater than 0.05) of herbal mixtures on ADG, final BW, feed efficiency, DM intake and feed conversion by phytobiotic dietary inclusion. Ruminal pH (P=0.07) increased quadratically in response to the herbal mixture dietary concentration. The acetate increased and propionate reduced, both quadratically (P less than 0.05). The evaluated doses of the polyherbal additive did not influence growth and feed efficiency of lambs.
In the organization of scientifically grounded feeding of farm animals, the use of compound feed balanced in terms of basic nutrients ensures an increase in the productivity of animals by 10-12%, and when enriched with biological additives that contribute to the safety of livestock, an increase in the physiological status and productivity of animals, their effectiveness increases by 25-30 %. There is the issue of providing the population with high-quality livestock products, which can only be obtained with adequate feeding, which contributes to the intensity of animal growth, productivity and a decrease in feed costs per unit of production. An important WHO recommendation is to limit the consumption of processed and red meat products, due to the increased risk of developing cancer of the gastrointestinal tract in humans. One of the alternatives to red meat is rabbit meat. Rabbit meat is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which interfere with carcinogenesis, inducing apoptosis, controlling the cell cycle and eicosanoid production, and also inducing antiproliferative effects. The main problem in industrial rabbit breeding is maintaining a high immune status of rabbits to increase the safety of livestock, productivity and meat quality. The use of non-traditional biologically active additives from agroindustrial complex waste in the composition of compound feed has been insufficiently studied. It is necessary to qualitatively change the nature of the feed base through the creation and use of effective biologically active feed additives and probiotics that have a protective effect and the ability to optimize the metabolic processes of the body, treat and prevent diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. It is possible to restore normal intestinal microflora, improve the bioavailability of nutrients in compound feed and increase safety of livestock without the use of antibiotics for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes. The comparative assessment of the effectiveness of the action of biologically active additives in the composition of feed for the development of rabbit breeding is of undoubted scientific and practical importance.
The main purpose of this study was to explore the effects of Spirulina (Spirulina platensis) as a feed supplement by replacing Vitamin-Mineral Premix on the performance of broiler. The study explored that final body weight was 1039, 1070, 1044, 1065, 1117 and 893 g/bird in group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 where significantly (p<0.5) higher weight observed in Spirulina group (5) but lower in negative control group (6). Feed intake observed more or less similar in all groups (1483±24g; p>0.5). Feed conversion ratio (kg FI/kg LWG) observed significantly different like 1.72, 1.65, 1.69, 1.62, 1.61 and 1.99 in group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively (p<0.5) where higher in negative group (6) and control group (1), but is lowest and similar in 75% Spirulina group (4) and highest (100%) Spirulina group (5). %Ash of different dietary groups were 46.35, 46.54, 48.93, 49.93, 55.07 and 46.92 of group 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The %ash of bone was gradually increased among dietary groups and the best result was obtained in 100% Spirulina group 5 (55.07). It also revealed that diets containing no vitamin-mineral premix with 100% Spirulina improve the performance of broiler. The findings suggest that poultry farmer can use spirulina as a feed item for broiler for more yield.
One hundred and forty-four (144) Isa brown laying hens, were used in a one hundred- and twenty-days (120) feeding study to evaluate the effects of substitution of antibiotics with selected medicinal plant leaf meal on their production indices. The study consists of eight treatment groups designated as T1 to T8. T1 was the control, T2 (5% Moringa oleifera leaf meal), T3 (5% Neem leaf meal) T4 (5% Spondias mombin leaf meal), T5 (2.5% combination each of moringa and Neem leaf meal), T6 (2.5% combination each of Moringa and Spondias mombin leaf meal) T7 (2.5% combination each of Neem and Spondias mombin leaf meal), and T8 (1.66% each of Moringa, Neem and Spondias mombin leaf meal) respectively. Productive performance indices such as the number of eggs laid, egg weight, hen house average, feed intake, internal and external egg parameter and biochemical parameters were evaluated for the laying hens. Data collected were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance using SPSS,22. Mean separation was done using the least significant difference. The result of the experiment showed that T8 and T5 had the highest (P<0.05) average number of eggs laid monthly. The weight of eggs laid was highest for T2; while T4, T6 and T7 had the lowest average weight of eggs laid. Egg shape index and shell thickness (P>0.05) did not differ. However, albumen weight, albumen height, yolk weight, yolk height and yolk diameter all differed significantly (P<0.05). The work therefore, recommends that medicinal plant leaf meal can be used in place of antibiotics growth promoters as they positively affect the number of eggs laid, egg weight.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with Agave fourcroydes powder on growth performance, carcass traits, organ weights, gut morphometry, and blood biochemistry in broiler rabbits. A total of 40 male rabbits (New Zealand × Californian) weaned at 35 d were randomly selected for a control diet (CD) and CD + 1.5% of A. fourcroydes powder, with 10 replicates and two rabbits per replicate. After 60 d, A. fourcroydes powder increased body weight, feed intake, and weight gain (P<0.05), without affecting feed conversion ratio and viability (P>0.05). Furthermore, this natural product did not affect the edible portions and the indicators determined in the Longissimus dorsi, nor the organ relative weights and the intestinal morphometry (P>0.05); however, a decrease in cecal pH was observed and consequently an increase in cecal beneficial bacteria (P<0.05) were found. Also, A. fourcroydes powder reduced (P<0.05) the serum concentration of glucose, harmful lipids, HDL and atherogenic index although without change for the ureic nitrogen, creatinine and VLDL (P>0.05). Agave fourcroydes powder as a zootechnical additive promoted better growth, in addition, it showed lipid-lowering and hypoglycemic effects, without modifying the edible portions and organs digestive.
The effect of including lemongrass extract powder (LGEP) as a phytogenic herbal extract supplementation for growing rabbits on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters and carcase characteristics were evaluated. One hundred twenty unsexed V-Line rabbits, with 35 days age and 802 ± 47 g weight, were used. Rabbits were divided equally into four treatments to be fed on basal diet as a control diet without lemongrass inclusion (LGEP0) or with the inclusion of LGEP at 2 g (LGEP2), 4 g (LGEP4) or 6 g (LGEP6) per kg diet. Feeding LGEP did not significantly affect final body weight, weekly weight gains, feed consumption or feed conversion ratio. Moreover, no significant effect of supplementing rabbit diets with LGEP was observed on all apparent nutrient digestibility. The LGEP4 treatment decreased (P<.05) blood malondialdehyde, while LGEP contained treatments increased blood immunoglobulin G concentration as well as spleen relative weight (P<.01) compared to the control treatment. Although LGEP inclusion levels did not significantly affect productive performance traits, the studied LGEP treatments may help to enhance the anti-oxidative status and relative immune response of growing rabbits.
• HIGHLIGHTS
• The effect of supplementing lemongrass extract powder (LGEP) to growing rabbits was evaluated.
• The inclusion of LGEP by 4 g/kg tends to improve growth performance, carcase and digestibility values.
• The studied lemongrass treatments enhanced the anti-oxidative status and relative immune response of growing rabbits.
• LGEP could be used as a natural phytogenic feed additive in the growing rabbit diets.
A total number of 48 male growing New Zealand rabbits were used to study the effect of two different levels of ration energy supplemented with mixture of Lupinus albus L, Trigonella foenum-graecum L and Cassia senna L as feed additives. Rabbits were classified into four equal groups (G 1 -G 4). The 1 st and 3 rd groups received basal ration with 100 % and 90 % energy requirement and served as first and second control respectively. The 2 nd and the 4 th groups received basal ration with 100 % and 90 % energy requirement supplemented with mixture at the level of 1.5 %, respectively. The results showed that decreasing energy requirements level by 10% in rabbit diets significantly (P<0.05) increased the digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP and NFE & DCP values. The 90% energy level insignificant increased (P>0.05) CF and EE digestibility coefficients and TDN value. The 90% energy requirement with 1.5 % additives mixture (G 4) recorded the best digestibility coefficients of DM, OM, CP, CF, EE, NFE and nutritive values of TDN and DCP. The 90% energy level significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion (g intake /g gain) of DM, CP, DCP, TDN and DE, respectively compared to control. Adding mixture at 1.5 % level significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion (g intake /g gain) of DM, CP, DCP, TDN and DE, respectively compared to control. The 90% energy with 1.5% additives mixture (G 4) recorded the best values of final body weight, body weight gain, and average daily gain as well as feed conversion.
The effect of spices mixture on blood glucose and lipids profile in oxidative stress rabbits was studied. Twenty female rabbits were randomly divided into four groups (five animals in each group). The first group was subjected to oxidative stress by the ad libitum supply of drinking water containing 0.5% H2O2. The second group was supplied with pellets containing 20% spices mixture. The spices mixture is composed of cinnamon, turmeric and cumin powder. The third group was subjected to H2O2 (0.5%) and supplied with pellets containing 20% spices mixture. The last group was considered as control and supplied with pellets and water. The period of experiment was lasted for 21 days. The results showed that there was a significant (P< 0.05) decrease in glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C and VLDL-C concentration, except HDL-C concentration which increased significantly (P< 0.05) in the groups expose
The experiment aimed to study the effect of Digestarom® dietary inclusion (herbal formulation containing a mixture of essential oils, herbs, spices and extracts) on apparent digestibility and digestive ecosystem of growing rabbits, as well as the effects of its supplementation before and after weaning on growth performance. At kindling, rabbit does and litters were divided into 2 dietary groups (51 does/group) and fed either a control diet (C) or a diet supplemented with 300 mg Digestarom®/kg diet (D) until weaning, which occurred at 35 d (before weaning supplementation). Each group was further divided into 3 dietary groups: CC received the control diet and DD received the D diet from 5 to 12 wk of age, and DC were fed with D (from 5 to 8 wk of age) and C diets (from 8 to 12 wk of age) (after weaning supplementation; 54 kits/group). An in vivo digestibility trial and a faecal microbial count were carried out on growing rabbits that received only the C or D diets during the trial. The C group showed higher DM intake than D group (215 vs. 196 g/d; P
EFFECT OF ANISE AND FENUGREEK SUPPLEMENTATION ON PERFORMANCE OF RABBIT DOES
The study investigated the effects of diet supplementation with aniseed (Pimpinella anisum) and fenugreek seeds (Trigonellae foenum-graecum) on the performance of does and kits. Thirthy eight NZW does were randomly divided into two groups (n=19) considering live weight, parity, number of born alive and litter weight after equalisation to 8 kits at first day of lactation. Three days before expected time of parturition until 17 days of lactation, control group was fed ad libitum a commercial diet (C), while the treated group (AF) received the same feed supplemented with aniseed (6 g/kg) and fenugreek seeds (6 g/kg). After 17th day of lactation, groups were fed the C diet and nursed freely till weaning at 35 days of age. Milk yield was daily measured until day 17 with separation
of kits and weighing the doe immediately before and after controlled suckling. Between 1 and 17 days of lactation, the supplementation tended (P=0.058) to reduce the doe’s feed intake (325 vs 348 g/day). Mortality of AF kits tended to be higher (3.9 vs. 0.6% P=0.056) causing a relatively smaller 17d litter size (7.68 vs 7.95 P=0.075) and lower 1- 17 days milk yield (3468 vs 3561 g). The daily milk intake of AF kits (26.7 g) was equivalent to that of C rabbits (26.4 g). Also, the 17 days body weight did not differ significantly between AF and C kits (334 and 341 g). However, milk conversion of AF kits was lower (P=0.011) compared to C rabbits (1.73 vs 1.64 g/g). At 35 days of lactation, the differences between AF and C groups were not significant in litter size (7.65 and 7.89), litter weight (6837 and 7168 g), kit weight (900 and 909 g) and 1-35d weight gain (23.8 and 24.1 g/day). In conclusion, further studies are needed to investigate the palatability and optimal level of these spices in the feed of lactating rabbits.
In an attempt to improve the microbiological quality and extend the shelf-life of refrigerated rabbit meat, four groups of rabbit meat from New Zealand breed were prepared, the 1st group was untreated (control), while the other three groups were treated with lactic acid 0.5 %, thyme oil 0.5 % and water extract of sumac 8 % by dipping for 1, 1 and 10 min, respectively. Then the samples were refrigerated at 2 ± 1 °C to be periodically examined for their sensory and microbiological status. The control and treated samples showed excellent overall acceptability by panellists at zero-day of examination, off odours and tastes were noticed by the day 9, 12, 9 and 15 day of storage in control (C), lactic acid (LA), thyme oil (TO) and water extract of sumac (WES) treated groups, respectively. There was no significant differences in aerobic plate counts “APC” (at p < 0.05) between treated and untreated groups at zero and 3rd day of examination, while at 6th and 9th day of refrigerated storage, the values of APC were significantly lower in LA and WES treated groups than C and TO treated groups. The APC results confirm the concept that the slowest growth rate of the total bacterial population extends the shelf life of rabbit meat. Approximately, similar pattern to that of APC was observed in the results of coliforms (MPN). The MPN values of faecal coliforms and E. coli were relatively low, which could be attributed to the preparation of rabbit samples under strict hygienic measures. The obtained results in the present study suggest that WES can be used as a decontaminant for rabbit and poultry meat at each decontamination step instead of other chemical substances which could affect the acceptability of the final product and remain some hazardous residues.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the probiotic product ToyoCerin® (spores of B. cereus var. toyoi) and the phytobiotic product Cuxarom Spicemaster (brown algae mixed with the following herbs and spices: basil, fennel, garlic and cinnamon, and the essential oils of aniseed and thyme) on the fattening performance and carcass characteristics of New Zealand white rabbits. Two performance trials, each involving three groups of rabbits, were conducted. Each group comprised 9 (trial 1) or 11 (trial 2) animals, kept in single cages. During 56-day trials (commencing after weaning at 30 days of age in trial 1 and at 8 weeks of age in trial 2) the growth rate of animals and the feed conversion ratio improved considerably, compared with the control group, as a result of the administration of the tested supplements. The additives also had a positive effect on total carcass weight and the weight of carcass parts. However, not all effects of the analyzed preparations were found to be statistically significant.
The study investigated the effect of Digestarom ® dietary supplementation on the reproductive performances of rabbit does. Pannon Ka (maternal line) multiparous does were randomly divided into two dietary groups since insemination and fed ad libitum. In the first group (n=51), rabbit does were fed with a commercial diet (C), whereas in the other group (n=52) they received the same diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg of Digestarom ® (D). The experiment lasted for two reproductive cycles (kindling 1=K1; kindling 2=K2). Body weight of does and litter size (kits born total, alive, stillborn) were recorded at kindling. Litter size and litter weight were registered at 7, 14, 21 days of age after nursing, and the average individual weight of kits was calculated. Kits' mortality was recorded daily. At K1, rabbit does performances were unaffected by dietary treatments. During K2, D does were significantly lighter than C ones (P<0.05) and displayed a lower kindling rate (P<0.05). Digestarom ® did not improve the reproductive performance of rabbit does. They seemed to dislike the D diet in K1 and such behavior could have led to the negative results in K2. Further studies should focus on feed acceptance , dose-dependent effect, physiological adaptation and in vivo oxidative status of does. Finally, several consecutive reproductive cycles are recommended to test the efficacy of new feed supplements.
The study investigated the effect of Digestarom® dietary supplementation on the reproductive performances of rabbit does. Pannon Ka (maternal line) multiparous does were randomly divided into two dietary groups since insemination and fed ad libitum. In the first group (n=51), rabbit does were fed with a commercial diet (C), whereas in the other group (n=52) they received the same diet supplemented with 300 mg/kg of Digestarom® (D). The experiment lasted for two reproductive cycles (kindling 1=K1; kindling 2=K2). Body weight of does and litter size (kits born total, alive, stillborn) were recorded at kindling. Litter size and litter weight were registered at 7, 14, 21 days of age after nursing, and the average individual weight of kits was calculated. Kits’ mortality was recorded daily. At K1, rabbit does performances were unaffected by dietary treatments. During K2, D does were significantly lighter than C ones (P<0.05) and displayed a lower kindling rate (P<0.05). Digestarom® did not improve the reproductive performance of rabbit does. They seemed to dislike the D diet in K1 and such behavior could have led to the negative results in K2. Further studies should focus on feed acceptance, dose-dependent effect, physiological adaptation and in vivo oxidative status of does. Finally, several consecutive reproductive cycles are recommended to test the efficacy of new feed supplements.
In this study, 160 Hycole weaned rabbits (35 days old) were randomly divided into four groups of 40. The rabbits were studied throughout a 54-day experimentation period in order to determine the impact of dietary supplementation from herbs composed of 0.2%, 0.4% dry ground Lythrum salicaria leaves (LS) and 0.3% Cunirel® (CR; a commercial herb mixture containing LS as the main ingredient) on performance, digestibility, health and meat quality. The basal diet was given to the control group. No significant differences were found in performance, 10 rabbits from each group were selected for evaluation regarding apparent digestibility. The rabbits fed the control diet and the diet with the low level of LS had a higher level of CP digestibility than did the animals that were supplemented with the high LS levels and CR (85.7% and 84.9% v. 84.0% and 84.0%, respectively; P
Forty five male New Zealand White rabbits aged 5 weeks with an average body weight 574±2.32 g were divided randomly into five equal experimental groups (9 animals in each) and used in a feeding trial lasted 56 days to investigate the response of rabbits to diets diet containing fat with or without herbal mixture formulation consisting of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds or oregano leaves (Origanum vulgare L.) and mixture of them on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics, blood constituents and economical evaluation of growing rabbits. The experimental groups were classified to: group 1 fed the basal diet and served as control group (R1); group 2 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil (R2); group 3 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 1% Fennel seeds (R3); group 4 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 1% Oregano leaves (R4) and group 5 fed the basal diet + 2% sunflower oil + 0.5% Fennel seeds + 0.5% Oregano leaves (R5). The results showed that, tested rations were isonitrogenous but not isocaloric. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on feed intake, CP and EE digestibilities. While DM, OM and CF digestibilities were significantly (P<0.05) improved. Rabbits received R5 diet recorded the highest value of OM, CF, EE digestibilities and TDN value. On the other hand, dietary treatments improved both TDN and DCP values. Dietary treatments significantly (P<0.05) improved final weight, body weight gain and average daily gain. Final weight was improved by 3.45, 12.37, 9.71 and 13.38% for R2, R3, R4 and R5, respectively, compared to the control R1 while both body weight gain and average daily gain were improved by 4.37, 16.37, 12.46 and 17.48% for the same experimental groups compared to control. Adding medicinal plants (fennel seeds or oregano leaves) to rabbit diets significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion ratio. Rabbit fed on R5 diet recorded the best feed conversion ratio. Dietary treatments significantly decreased (P<0.05) only EBW (R3), total cholesterol (R3, R4 and R5) and LDL (R5). Rabbits received R5 diet recorded the best total cost, total revenue, net revenue, economical efficiency, relative economic efficiency and feed cost / kg LBW. It can be concluded that adding 0.5% fennel seeds with 0.5% oregano leaves as feed additives to rabbit diets contained 2% oil improved daily gain; both nutrient digestibility coefficients and nutritive values as well as realized the highest value of relative economic efficiency and lowered value of feed cost/ kg live body weight.
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) tea extract is a South African leguminous shrub which is gaining more and more interest worldwide for its interesting properties which have been mainly exploited by the cosmetic industry. Concerning food applications, it exhibited interesting potential to increase the shelf-life of meat and meat products mainly by lowering their lipid oxidation rate. However, sensory acceptability of the final product still needs to be evaluated. In the present trial we tested the sensory attributes and acceptability of rabbit meat patties manufactured with increasing levels of fermented rooibos tea extract. With this purpose, a total of 16 kg of rabbit meat were used. Meat was divided in four batches, and manually mixed with different rooibos inclusion levels: Control (0%), R1 (0.5%), R2 (1%) and R3 (2%). Subsequently, meat patties were stored under refrigerated conditions (+4 °C) until cooking which was carried out in a water bath for 25 minutes at 80 °C (n=20 patties/treatment). Afterwards, an eight members trained panel carried out a ranking test during which each sample was evaluated by two different assessors. Ranked sensory attributes data were computed with a Friedman's two-way non-parametric ANOVA. The type and frequency of perceived off-flavours were evaluated by a chi-square test. Both statistical analysis were conducted using the SAS 9.3 software package. As expected, increasing levels of rooibos extract determined a greater coloration of rabbit meat patties (P<0.0001) which adversely affected general visual acceptability of the product when rooibos inclusion level exceeded 1%, (13.6 and 15.1 vs 8.7 and 5.5 for C, R1, R2 and R3, respectively; P<0.0001). Higher rooibos percentages raised aroma intensity as well as rooibos aroma perception and lowered rabbit aroma (6.5 vs 17.5 for R1 and R3, respectively; P<0.0001). As it was observed for visual acceptability, also in this case the 1% and 2% rooibos inclusion reduced aroma general acceptability (14.7 and 15.2 vs 9.3 and 3.8 for C, R1, R2 and R3, respectively; P<0.0001) with rooibos presence being identified as an off-flavour. This was confirmed also by the frequency of perceived off-flavours which exhibited greater percentages for R2 and R3 treatments compared to C and R1 groups which showed similar scores. This was particularly true for rancid (P<0.001), rooibos (P<0.0001) and acid (P<0.05) off-flavours. Regarding texture parameters, rooibos inclusion increased toughness of meat patties (4.2, 8.1, 13.6 and 17.1 for C, R1, R2 and R3 groups, respectively; P<0.001) and reduced their juiciness when its incorporation exceeded 0.5% (P<0.001). Interestingly, a rooibos inclusion of 0.5% guaranteed the same general product acceptability of the C rabbit meat patties, thus confirming the potentiality of this plant to be successfully used also in the meat sector as a natural additive.
XA pen trial using 1,080 male Ross 308 broiler chicks (6 treatments with 6 replicates each) was conducted to examine the effects of 3 dietary phytogenic products on avian coccidiosis. The dietary treatments included (1) a negative control (NC), (2) a positive control (PC) without feed additive, (3) Narasin at 0.7 kg/t (COCC), (4) PHYT1 (oregano) at 2.0 kg/t, (5) PHYT2 (combination of Curcuma, saponins, and inulin) at 1.0 kg/t, and (6) PHYT3 (Quillaja) at 1.0 kg/t. Treatments 2 through 6 were challenged with a mixture of Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, and Eimeria tenella at d 15 via feed. Standard performance parameters and coccidial lesion scoring (d 22) were conducted. One week after coccidial challenge, chicks BW of the COCC treatment and the NC were higher than all other treatments. Body weights on d 39 were 2.47 (NC), 2.34 (PC), 2.51 (COCC), 2.35 (PHYT1), 2.39 (PHYT2), and 2.41 kg (PHYT3) with an SEM of 0.033. For the entire trial period, Narasin yielded a significantly better FCR in comparison with the PC and PHYT3. Overall mean lesion score was 0.54 (NC), 0.91 (PC), 0.50 (COCC), 0.81 (PHYT 1), 1.02 (PHYT 2), and 1.13 (PHYT 3) with an SEM of 0.122. It was concluded that all 3 phytogenic products were not effective at the used dosage in alleviating the negative effects observed in coccidiosis-challenged birds.
synthèse rédigée pour le livre COST
In the present trial, the effect of a fermented rooibos tea extract as a natural antioxidant on the shelf-life of rabbit meat patties was investigated. With this purpose, three treatments with the inclusion of 0.5% (R1), 1% (R2) and 2% (R3) fermented rooibos tea extract were compared to a control group without any extract (C:
0%). The inclusion of 0.5%, 1% and 2% fermented rooibos tea extract lowered the peroxides content of
rabbit meat patties compared to untreated ones (P<0.0001). Moreover, the rooibos presence affected
also the pH values of rabbit meat patties, with R2 and R3 groups providing lower values compared to R1 and C groups (P<0.0001). Differently, although a lower drip loss in patties treated with the rooibos tea extract compared to the control group was expected, no effect was observed in this sense. Consequently, further studies are needed to deeply understand the mechanisms through which the rooibos presence would affect quality aspects of meat and meat products.
An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of source of protein (soybean vs sunflower meal) and enzyme supplementation (no enzyme vs protease addition vs protease + xylanase addition) on digestion and growth traits of rabbits. Treatments were arranged factorially in six isonutritive diets. Two hundred and forty rabbits weaned at 25 or 35 days were used to measure dry matter and crude protein apparent ileal digestibility of diets at 35 or 45 days of age, respectively. Another one hundred and eighty animals weaned at 35 days were fed ad libitum in individual cages during four weeks to determine fattening performance. Source of protein did not affect digestion efficiency or feed conversion rate in the whole fattening period, but animals fed soybean meal-based diets showed higher feed intake, grew faster and had higher mortality than those fed sunflower meal-based diets. Addition of enzymes increased ileal apparent digestibility, especially in youngest animals when supplements contained xylanase besides protease activity. Enzyme supplementation did not affect any of the growth traits studied, but decreased fattening mortality in sunflower meal-based diets.
This work aimed to test the effect of a dietary inclusion of formic and citric acids on growth performance, mortality, jejunal histology and development of intestinal lymphoid tissues in growing non-medicated rabbits. To this end, a control diet (diet C; 35.9 and 34.7% NDF and 18.9 and 19.1% CP, on DM basis, in the 2855 d and 56-77 d periods, respectively) was compared with the same diet supplemented with a blend of microencapsulated formic and citric acids (diet A: diet C enriched with 0.4% and 0.2% in the 28-55 d and 56-77 d periods, respectively). Sixty rabbits weaned at 28 d were assigned to each diet. At 56 and 77 d, 5 rabbits per diet and age were slaughtered to assess caecal traits, jejunal histology and follicular development in the caudal ileal Peyer's patch and the appendix. No dietary effects were observed on growth performance in the 28-55 d period. In the 56-77 d period, average daily gain of rabbits fed diet A was greater than that of control rabbits (48.0 vs. 43.9 g; P=O.019). Mortality rate was not affected by the diet (11.8% on average). Caecal pH, volatile fatty acids and ammonia concentration, and appendix size were not affected by diet. Caecal pH was lower at 77 than at 56 d (6.02 vs 6.19; P=0.016). The concentrations of ammonia (P=0.003) and volatile fatty acids (P<<0.001) in the caecal contents increased, respectively, from 9.62 and 70.5 to 14.2 and 81.9 mmol/L when rabbits reached 77 d of age. At 77 d the appendix was heavier (4.30 vs. 3.21 g/kg BW; P<<0.001 ), longer (13.3 vs. 10.4 cm; P<<0.001) and wider (1.74 vs. 1.45 cm; P=0.006) than at 56 d. At 56 d, villi of control rabbits were shorter than those of rabbits fed diet A and than those of rabbits aged 77 d, irrespective of the dietary treatment (662 vs. 807 urn; P<<0.001 ). In the Peyer's patch, the average follicle area was greater at 77 than at 56 d of age (118 vs. 88.4 x 10 3 urn 2; P<<0.001) and was also greater in rabbits fed diet C than in those fed diet A (109 vs. 97.5 x 10 3 uμrn 2; P=O.049). In the appendix, no differences in the average follicle area were found at 56 d of age (115×10 3 urn 2), whereas at 77 d the area increase was higher for rabbits fed diet C than for those fed diet A (95.5 vs. 50.8%; P<<0.001). In conclusion, including formic and citric acids in growing rabbit diets improved weight gain in the 56-77 period, had a trophic effect on the jejunal mucosa at 56 d and controlled the hypertrophy of gut-associated lymphoid tissues.
An On Farm trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of shatavari (Asparagus recemosus) on milk production in lactating dairy animals which were parturated 1 to 4 months before commencement of trial. Total 20 animals (10 buffaloes and 10 cross breed cows) were selected and fed 50 gm powder of shatavari roots in concentrates once in a day for a period of 60 days. The overall milk production were increased 1.06+ 0.17 kg (11.47%) daily and average milk production in buffaloes and cows were increased 0.8+ 0.34 kg(9.0%), 1.32+ 0.15 kg(12.72%) respectively as compared to their previous production. Increase in the income by feeding shatavari came to Rs. 7.49/day/animal and B:C ratio were found 1:3.30. From the above results it was concluded that shatavari is effective for increase in milk production and beneficial for economic milk production. India has witnessed rapid development in milk production during last two decades and has emerged as the world's top dairy nation, but it is still not sufficient to meet-out the requirement of increasing population. The low milk production of dairy animals due to various factors like under feeding, mal-nutrition, various diseases, stress, seasons etc. which hamper the economy of dairy industry. The use of herbal feed additives in livestock production, is as old as the ancient history. Now a days, herbal plants are widely used as animal feed additives, having galactogogue properties viz; Shatavari, Jiwanti (Leptadenia reticulata), Bhringraj (Eclipta alba), Acacia cataehu, Carica papaya (Papaya) and Methi (Trigonella foenum) as reported by Chopra et al (1952), Bakshi et al (2004).
The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of a herbal essential oil mixture on the performance of broilers produced by a young (30 wk) or an old breeder (80 wk) flock. One thousand and eight unsexed day-old broiler chicks (Ross-308) originating from the two breeder flocks were randomly allocated to three treatment groups of 336 birds each. Dietary treatments were: a control and two diets containing 24 mg/kg or 48 mg/kg of an essential oil mixture. There were no significant effects of dietary treatment on body weight of the broilers at 21 and 42 days. The effect of the age of the parents did not have a significant effect on body weight of the broilers at 21 and 42 days of age. Up to 21 days the feed intake of broilers from young breeders was reduced significantly as a result of the inclusion of the essential oil mixture in their diets, and a significant improvement in feed conversion ratio was recorded in these birds. Difference in regression coefficients for feed intake and feed conversion ratio between broilers from young and old breeder flocks was significant. Carcass yield and some internal organ weights such as the liver, pancreas, proventriculus, gizzard and small intestine were not affected by the addition of the essential oil mixture to the diet. Inclusion of essential oil mixture to the diet decreased mortality significantly at 21 days.
The ban on nutritive antibiotic use in Europe and the increased awareness of the consumers triggered a need for natural and safe feed additives to achieve better production results of farm animals. Plant extracts are used in animal nutrition as appetite and digestion stimulants, stimulants of physiological functions, for prevention and treatment of certain pathological conditions, as colorants and antioxidants. This article is a review of present literature data on the usage of plant extracts in poultry, pig and ruminant nutrition.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) or/and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) on total tract apparent digestibility of nutrients and the performance of growing rabbits. At weaning (5wk of age) the rabbits were randomly allotted to 7groups (42rabbits/group, 3rabbits/cage). Rabbits in the control group (C-C) received a control pelleted feed throughout the experiment (5-11 wk of age) without any supplementation (crude protein: 176 g CP/kg, neutral detergent fibre: 325 g NDF/kg). In the other groups, the control diet was supplemented with 5% spirulina (S, mainly in substitution of soybean meal), or 3% thyme (T, mainly in substitution of alfalfa meal) or by both 5%S and 3%T (ST) for the whole (5-11wk of age; groups: S-S, T-T, ST-ST) or part of the growing period (8-11wk of age; groups: C-S, C-T, C-ST). Supplementations had no effect on apparent digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, acid detergent fibre, gross energy and digestible energy. The CP TTAD was lowest in rabbits fed the S diet, whereas it was highest in C fed rabbits, the other 2treatments being intermediate (P<0.001). The starch TTAD was lowest for S fed rabbits (98.3%) and highest for ST fed rabbits (99.4%), the other 2dietary groups being intermediate (P<0.001). In contrast, the ether extract TTAD was higher in T than ST and C dietary groups (on av. 70.4vs. 67.7% respectively; P<0.001), with S fed rabbits showing an intermediate value (69.1%). The NDF TTAD of the ST diet was lower than that of the other 3 groups (16.4 vs. 21.0% respectively; P<0.001). The TTAD of Ca reached the lowest value for the S diet (53.5%) compared with the other 3diets (on av. 59.1%; P<0.001). The S diet also had the lowest digestibility (P<0.001) for K and P, but in this case the C group always showed the highest values (P<0.001), with T and ST rabbits exhibiting intermediate results. Spirulina and/or thyme dietary supplementation had no effect on feed intake (133g/d), daily weight gain (38.3g/d), morbidity (9.9%) or mortality (1.8%). Significant differences were only found for feed conversion ratio, which was lower for the C-T group (3.39) than for the C-C group (3.54; P<0.05). Based on these results, spirulina and thyme included separately or combined in growing rabbit diets did not exhibit substantial effects on growth performance or health status.
Reduced-energy and reduced-fat Bologna products enriched with ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were formulated by replacing the pork back-fat by an oil-in-water emulsion containing a mixture of linseed-algae oil stabilized with a lyophilized Melissa officinalis extract. Healthier composition and lipid profile was obtained: 85kcal/100g, 3.6% fat, 0.6g ALA and 0.44g DHA per 100g of product and ω-6/ω-3 ratio of 0.4. Technological and sensory problems were not detected in the new formulations. Reformulation did not cause oxidation problems during 32days of storage under refrigeration. The results suggest that it is possible to obtain reduced-fat Bologna-type sausages rich in ALA and DHA and stabilized with natural antioxidants, applying the appropriate technology without significant effects on the sensory quality, yielding interesting products from a nutritional point of view.
The essential oil of black cumin seeds, Nigella sativa L., was tested for a possible antioxidant activity. A rapid evaluation for antioxidants, using two TLC screening methods, showed that thymoquinone and the components carvacrol, t-anethole and 4-terpineol demonstrated respectable radical scavenging property. These four constituents and the essential oil possessed variable antioxidant activity when tested in the diphenylpicrylhydracyl assay for non-specific hydrogen atom or electron donating activity. They were also effective ·OH radical scavenging agents in the assay for non-enzymatic lipid peroxidation in liposomes and the deoxyribose degradation assay.
Consumers in developed countries are demanding minimally processed foods that contain few synthetic additives. At the same time, there is a continuing need for methods that extend the shelf-lives of food products to complement the increasingly infrequent shopping habits of the modern consumer. It is of little surprise, therefore, that food manufacturers are considering the possible uses of antimicrobial agents derived from animals, plants, and microorganisms to meet, at least in part, the demand for more “natural” foods.
As the pressure on the use of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP's) has become higher and higher, intense research has been started looking for safe and efficient alternatives. The objective of the current trial was to investigate the effect of the use of plant extracts on the one hand and the combination of plant extracts and organic acids on the other hand, on the zootechnical performance of broilers. A 2-factorial block experiment was set up with 864 Ross male broilers. Treatment 1 existed of a negative control. In treatment 2, the negative control was supplemented with Maxus 200 at 50 mg/kg (avilamycin at 10 mg/kg) (positive control). Treatment 3 and 4 consisted of the negative control diet supplemented with the products RepaXol™ (at 100 g/t) (plant extracts) and Avigro™ (at 500 g/t) (plant extracts + organic acids), respectively. Each dietary treatment consisted of 6 replicates of 36 birds. Results showed that the use of the AGP avilamycin had no significant effect on growth rate (g/b/d) and daily feed intake (g/b/d), although feed conversion was improved significantly (+2.5%). The positive effect of the two alternatives, especially RepaXol™, was more pronounced in comparison with the AGP-effect. At 42 days of age, birds on the RepaXol™-treatment were significantly heavier compared to the negative and the positive control, with a (near to) significantly higher feed intake and a significant improvement in feed conversion of 2.9% (against the negative control). It is not clear why the product Avigro™, a combination of plant extracts and organic acids, gave only intermediate results. So, the responses in zootechnical performances could not demonstrate a synergistic or additive effect between the plant extracts and the organic acids. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that both products (RepaXol™ and Avigro™) have a potential of being efficient alternatives for AGP's thereby improving not only feed conversion but also stimulating feed intake.
Shatavari is a medicinal plant used for a variety of serious diseases as also impotency of both the sexes. Shatavari is a general tonic and also a female reproductive tonic. Shatavari is used as main ayurvedic rejuvenative tonic for females. Shatavari roots are not only used as drug acting on all tissues but also as a powerful anabolic. It is good for eyes, muscles, reproductive organs, increases milk secretion and helps to regain vigour and vitality. Augmentation of milk production is a nationwide demand of rapidly growing population. Use of herbal galactogogue for safe milk production is a necessity because indiscriminate and prolonged use of feed additives, vitamins, minerals, hormones, drugs and synthetic compounds develop adverse effects which open a detrimental platform to normal health. Presently, many herbs such as Leptadenia reticulata, Asparagus racemosus, Withania somnifera, Arundo donax, Cissampelos pareira, Foeniculum vulgare, Eclipta alba, Solanum nigrumon, Ipomea digitata, Tribulus terrestri, Lepidium sativum, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cumunum cyminum, Cyterus rotundus, Nigella sativa, Foeniculum vulgare and Pulraria tuberose are used for augmenting milk production. Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) is very common in several polyherbal formulations such as Galog, Ruchamax, Payapro, Lactare, Leptaden and Calshakti Platina that are marketed for augmenting milk production in cows. In the present review an attempt has been made to substantiate the galactopoietic use of Asparagus racemosus and to advocate its scientific validation as galactogogue in dairy cows.
The effect of providing fenugreek seed at 20% of diet dry matter on dairy cow performance and milk characteristics was studied. Feeding fenugreek seed improved profile of functional fatty acids (P < 0.05) in the milk, reduced blood cholesterol concentration (by 4% units more than the control diet) and produced lower concentrations in milk (1.48 vs. 1.83 mg g-1 milk lipid) in a 3-wk study with dairy cows, without altering milk flavour or taste. Therefore, fenugreek seed could be used in dairy rations to improve milk characteristics.
One hundred eighty newly weaned pigs were used to investigate effects of feeding organic acids and herbal extracts on growth performance, gut morphology and microbiota, and immune response in newly weaned pigs during a 4-wk period. There were five dietary treatments: control, Acid 1 (acetic, propionic, phosphoric and citric acid; 1.1% inclusion), Acid 2 (Acid 1 + 1.0% lactic acid), herbal extracts (0.75% inclusion; containing cinnamon, thyme and oregano extract), and antibiotic (110 ppm lincomycin). As compared to the control, pigs on antibiotic and Acid 2 showed higher (P < 0.05) ADG only during week 2 post-weaning, whereas pigs on herbal extract showed lower (P < 0.05) ADG only during week 3 post-weaning. Fecal coliform counts were lower (P < 0.08) in pigs on Acid 1 and 2 on day 4 post-weaning and in pigs on antibiotic and herbal extract on day 14 post-weaning. Fecal lactobacilli counts were lower (P < 0.05) in pigs on antibiotic on day 14 post-weaning. Based on PCR-DGGE, treatment influenced the composition of gut microbiota. The pH of the colon was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs on acid treatments and serum IgG was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs on antibiotic. Dietary treatment did not affect (P > 0.10) intestinal morphology. These results show that the inclusion of antibiotic in the diet reduced the proliferation of both potentially harmful coliform bacteria and potentially beneficial lactobacilli in the pig's gut, while herbal extract and organic acids appeared to reduce the proliferation of coliform bacteria. Blends of organic acids can serve as an alternative to in-feed antibiotics during the first few weeks post-weaning for pigs.
The study aimed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation with different natural additives (aqueous extracts) on the performance of growing rabbits, the nutritional composition and oxidative stability of their meat and on their hind leg bone traits. For this experiment, 200 New Zealand White rabbits weaned at 30 days of age were randomly allocated into five dietary groups (n=40 rabbits/group) until 80 days of age, when they were sacrificed. Dietary groups were: S (standard diet without any supplementation), E (standard diet+150 ppm vitamin E - positive control), O (standard diet+0.2% oregano, Origanum vulgare, aqueous extract), R (standard diet+0.2% rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, aqueous extract ) and OR (standard diet+0.1% oregano extract+0.1% rosemary extract). An additional 50 ppm vitamin E was added to each diet. Rabbits in the O and OR groups showed the highest final live weight and carcass weight (P<0.001). Oregano supplemented animals also had the best feed conversion ratio. Longissimus dorsi (LD) meat of E and R rabbits had higher protein content compared to O and OR (P<0.001) which had a higher moisture content than E rabbits (P<0.005). All dietary treatments improved the oxidative stability of the LD meat compared to the S group. Treatments O and E were the most effective in delaying the lipid oxidation of LD meat, followed by the OR and R diets (P<0.005). No significant differences among groups in composition of the hind leg meat HL were observed. The O rabbits had a higher bone weight (P<0.05) than E animals and this difference was mainly ascribable to femur weight (P<0.01). In conclusion, the study showed that supplementation with 0.2% oregano can have a positive effect on productive performance and meat quality of rabbits.
Problem statement: The consumption of black cumin ( Nigella sativa ) seed has immunomodulatory and anti-bacterial activity, but i n rabbits this had not yet been tested. Approach: In the present studies, rabbits were fed diets wi thout or with black cumin seed and antibody production, phagocytotic activity, hyperse nsitivity and resistance against Pasteurellosis wer e assessed. Results: Feeding black cumin seed significantly increased s erum concentrations of antibodies in response to intramusculary injected s erum bovine albumin. Blood derived from rabbits fed the diets containing either 15 or 20% black cum in seed significantly reduced the growth of Staphylococcus aureus on sheep-blood agar plates. Skin thickness as inde x of hypersensitivity towards tuberculin was significantly reduced at 48 h after intradermal injection of the agent. Ingesti on of black cumin seed significantly extended survival time after intraperitoneal administration of Pasteurella multocida . Conclusion: The feeding of black cumin seed to rabbits stimulat ed their immune system, but did not enhance inflammation.
The antibacterial effect of thyme, peppermint, sage, black pepper and garlic hydrosols, widely used in food products as drinks and food additives, were tested for their inhibitory effects against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enteritidis. Single and combined hydrosols of previous common herbs were used to evaluate in vitro the antibacterial activity against these pathogenic bacteria. The obtained data showed that all of the tested herbal hydrosols demonstrated antibacterial activities against all of tested bacteria. Garlic hydrosols demonstrated stronger antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enteritidis compared with thyme, peppermint, sage and black pepper. Combined extracts of thyme, mint and sage (1: 1 mixing ratio) had slightly higher antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enteritidis compared with single plant hydrosols. Thyme hydrosols demonstrated higher antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella enteritidis compared with sage, peppermint and black pepper. Generally, single or combined common herbal hydrosols had inhibitory effects against the tested pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, these hydrosols are considered natural food and/or feed additives to improve the gut health of humans and animals.
In present study hypolipidemic and antioxidant action of Coriandrum sativum were investigated in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Cholesterol feeding (500 mg/ kg.b.wt/day) for 120 days caused a significant increase in serum total cholesterol, phospholipid, triglyceride, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL- cholesterol levels whereas HDL ratio was decreased significantly when compared with control group. The changes in the antioxidant parameters were accompanied by an increase in hepatic lipid peroxidation and reduction in glutathione (GSH) and catalase activity. The level of lipid peroxidation was reduced whereas GSH content and catalase activity were elevated after the treatment with 70% methanolic extract of C. sativum at the dose level of 500 mg/kg.b.wt/day. Reduced serum lipid profile and elevated HDL ratio was observed after administration of C. sativum. C. sativum extract feeding increased the faecal excretion of cholesterol and phospholipids. Histology studies showed less cholesterol deposits in the aorta of high cholesterol diet animals given C. sativum compared to the high cholesterol diet animals not given C. sativum supplement. Our study exhibited that C. sativum is a potent hypolipidaemic agent and provide protection against oxidative stress. In addition, C. sativum also reduced cholesterol deposition in the aorta of high cholesterol diet animals.
Feed additives are used worldwide for many different reasons. Some help to cover the needs of essential nutrients and others to increase animal performance, feed intake and thereby optimize feed utilization. They can positively affect technological properties and quality of feed as well as animal products. In many countries the use of feed additives is more and more questioned by the consumers: Substances such as antibiotics, hormones and β-agonists with expected high risks are banned in animal diets. The consumers' demand trend is for safer and more "organic" food. Environmental aspects and animal management conditions get essential in intensive animal production systems. Therefore, the feed industry is eagerly looking for effective alternatives which are acceptable to the consumer and environmentally sound. Organic acids, enzymes, probiotics, prebiotics and highly available minerals as well as herbs or botanicals can be seen as potential alternatives to metabolic modifiers and antibiotics. The best results can be achieved in the combination of these feed additives and under good environmental conditions.
Animal feed additives are used worldwide for many different reasons. Some help to cover the needs of essential nutrients and others to increase growth performance, feed intake and therefore optimize feed utilization. The health status of animals with a high growth performance is a predominant argument in the choice of feed additives. The use of feed additives is more and more questioned by the consumers. Therefore, the feed industry is highly interested in valuable alternatives which could be accepted by the consumers. Probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes and highly available minerals as well as herbs can be seen as alternatives. Herbs, spices and their extracts (botanicals) have a wide range of activities. They can stimulate feed intake and endogenous secretions or have antimicrobial, coccidiostatic or anthelmintic activity. A major field of application of herbs is the protection of animals and their products against oxidation.
The study evaluated the effect of Spirulina and Thyme dietary supplementation on rabbit meat quality, nutrient true retention and protection against oxidative stress. Rabbits in the control group (C-C) received a non-supplemented pellet throughout the experiment (5-11weeks of age). In the other groups, the pellet contained 5% Spirulina (S), 3% Thyme (T), or both (ST) for either the entire (groups S-S, T-T, ST-ST) or only the final part of the growing period (8-11weeks: groups C-S, C-T, C-ST). Spirulina supplementation increased the γ-linolenic acid content of rabbit meat, whereas Thyme improved the oxidative stability of raw and freeze-dried meat.
The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) or Olea europaea (olive tree) leaves on oxidative stability of rabbit meat fortified with n-3 fatty acids. Forty-eight slovenska kunka (SIKA) rabbits were divided into four homogeneous groups. The control group (CONT-) received diet with 6% palm fat; other groups received diet with 6% linseed oil and were either unsupplemented (CONT+) or supplemented with 1% of G. lucidum (REISHI) or O. europaea leaves (OLIVE). Rabbits were slaughtered and fatty acid composition, concentration of vitamin E and malondialdehyde (MDA) in back muscle were analyzed. The results showed that linseed oil addition improved fatty acid composition by increasing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) proportion, decreasing proportion of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and reducing n-6/n-3 ratio in rabbit meat. Groups that were supplemented with linseed oil had lower content of α-tocopherol and higher content of γ-tocopherol, compared to the CONT- group. The addition of potential antioxidants did not effectively prevent oxidation of rabbit meat.
The aim of this research was to evaluate the dietary supplementation 1% (w/w) of oregano and sage dried leaves on performances and meat quality of broiler rabbits. A feeding trial, which lasted 48 d, was carried out on 105 male Bianca Italiana rabbits randomly divided in seven groups and fed ad libitum. At the end of the trial ten animals per group were slaughtered and samples of dorsal muscle were taken in order to perform laboratory analysis. Mortality rate did not statistically differ between groups. Growth performances of animals fed diets supplemented with aromatic plants were higher (P<0.05) than those of animals of control group, whereas carcass parameters were not affected by treatments excepting for the slaughter weight that showed the same trend as growth performances. Meat quality traits, oxidative lipid stability and fatty acid profile were not influenced by aromatic plant supplementation. In conclusion, oregano and sage in form of dried leaves can be used in rabbit without adverse effects on performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality traits.
