Journal of Animal Research and Nutrition

Inclusion of Mixture Phytogenic Extract Herbs of Drinking Water for Growing Rabbit: Effects on Productive Traits and Immunity Status

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of drinking water with a mixture of herbal plants with special extracts and essential oils (phytogenic additives mixture) on productive traits, some physiological parameter and caecal bacteria of growing rabbits. Ninety weaned V-line rabbits at four weeks were randomly allocated to three groups. Rabbits of groups 2 and 3 were administration phytogenic additives mixture of drinking water with 0.5 ml (LA) and 1 ml (HA) per litre while the first group served as control (A₀) without additives. Body weight gain was positively affected by phytogenic additives mixture treatment. LA rabbits had the improved feed conversion value (P<0.001). Both the LA and HA treatments had reduced (P<0.05) plasma cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins concentration and LA treatment increased (P<0.05) high-density lipoproteins and total antioxidant capacity levels but decreased malondialdehyde (P<0.05) relative to the control treatment. However, blood protein profile, glucose, liver function enzymes, immune globulins levels and carcass characteristic was not affected by treatments. At 63 days of age caecum microbial counts increased (P<0.001) Lactobacillus spp. count with LA treatment and decreased (P<0.001) the counts of coliform bacteria and E. coli. The LA treatment followed by HA treatment increased beneficial bacteria count compared to the control. It is concluded that additives mixture enhanced feed conversion, daily gain, physiological parameters and positively altered caecal bacteria profile, with better effects of the low dose of the phytogenic additives mixture compared to the high dose.

Author(s): OAH El-Ghalid, Ghada Mostafa El Ashry*, AE Kholif, OH Matloup, OA Olafadehan, AM El-Raffa and AM Abd El-Hady

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