Compost-sourced substances (SBO) as feedstuff additives in rabbit production

Zinc and/or Selenium Enriched Spirulina as Antioxidants in Growing Rabbit Diets to Alleviate the Deleterious Impacts of Heat Stress during Summer Season

Simple Summary

Heat stress in summer season impairs growth and causes heat-induced physiological stress in rabbits. Zinc acts as an antioxidant stress agent by inhibition of oxidation of macromolecules such as DNA as well as inhibition of inflammatory response, eventually resulting in the down-regulation of reactive oxygen species production. Selenium is a powerful biological anti-oxidant mineral. Spirulina is comparatively confined extreme protein (55–65%) and comprised all important amino acids, has wellbeing assistances, immuno-stimulatory influences and antiviral activity and ensured the capability to diminish heat stress impacts. In the current work, effects of dietary supplemental zinc and/ or selenium enriched spirulina (100 mg Zn-Sp/kg diet, 0.5 mg Se-Sp/kg diet or 100 mg Zn-Sp+ 0.5 mg Se-Sp, respectively) as antioxidants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, plasma biochemicals and antioxidant status of New Zealand White growing rabbits under summer conditions were evaluated. The findings showed that the supplemented diets enhanced growth performance of rabbits at marketing, hot carcass weight, dressing percentage, high density lipoprotein cholesterol and total antioxidant capacity and reduced thio-barbituric acid reactive substances. Finally, dietary supplementation of 100 mg Zn-Sp, 0.5 mg Se-Sp or their combination could improve growth performance, nutrients digestibility and antioxidant status of heat stressed growing rabbits.

Abstract

Effects of dietary supplemental zinc and/ or selenium enriched spirulina (Zn-Sp, Se-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp, respectively) as antioxidants on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, plasma biochemicals and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under summer conditions were evaluated. A total of 160 New Zealand White male rabbits at six-weeks-old were randomly assigned to four groups. The first group received untreated diet (control). The other groups received diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn-Sp/kg diet, 0.5 mg Se-Sp/kg diet or 100 mg Zn-Sp+ 0.5 mg Se-Sp, respectively. The findings showed that the supplemented diets enhanced growth performance of rabbits at marketing. Rabbits fed Zn-Sp exhibited high dry and organic matter digestibilities while those fed Zn-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp diet supplemented achieved high crude protein digestibility. Rabbits fed diet supplemented with Zn-Se-Sp gave the highest hot carcass weight when competed with their counterparts. Zn-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp supplemented diets tended to promote dressing percentage. Low concentrations of plasma total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and VLDL-cholesterol were recorded by Se-Sp and Zn-Se-Sp groups. Rabbits fed Se-Sp, Zn-Se-Sp had the greatest HDL, plasma TAC and catalase and the lowest TBARs. Conclusively, dietary supplementation of 100 mg Zn-Sp, 0.5 mg Se-Sp or their combination could improve growth performance, nutrients digestibility and antioxidant status of heat stressed growing rabbits.

A New Composite Biomaterial Made from Sunflower Proteins, Urea, and Soluble Polymers Obtained from Industrial and Municipal Biowastes to Perform as Slow Release Fertiliser

Controlled-release fertilizers (CRF) are needed under current agriculture practice to decrease the environmental impact caused by fertilizer doses applied in excess of plants’ uptake rate. Commercial CRF are available. They are manufactured from mineral fertilizers encapsulated into a synthetic polymer matrix or coated by a polymer layer. However, substitution of fossil sourced organic polymers with biopolymers is a major environmental concern. In the present paper, we describe the manufacture by a continuous twin-screw extrusion process, and the mechanical and chemical properties of injection-molded composite pellets containing 90% sunflower protein concentrate (SPC) matrix, and 5–10% of a biopolymer (BP) obtained from municipal biowastes (MBW), and/or urea (U). The reported results show that SPC-BP-U behaves as an efficient eco-friendly CRF. BP contributes to several benefits to the performance of the composite pellets, upon increasing surface hardness, and controlling the formation of ammonia from urea hydrolysis and the release of organic nitrogen. The SPC-BP-U appears a powerful eco-friendly CRF to supply organic C and the three major N, P, and K nutrients to soil and plants. It offers worthwhile scope for being tested in the cultivation of specific plants under the real operational conditions of agriculture practices.

Sensitivity of Coriandrum sativum extract on bacterial pathogens isolated from digestive system of rabbits, and its role on in vitro cecal gas production and fermentation

The present context was aimed to investigate the antibacterial potency of aqueous extract of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) leaves against bacterial pathogens isolated from the organs associated with digestive system of rabbit. This study also evaluated the influence of varied doses of aqueous extract of C. sativum (AECS) leaves on in vitro gas production (GP), methane (CH₄) production, and some other pivotal fermentation parameters from caecal sample of rabbits. The pathogenic bacteria were isolated from mouth, caecum, and anus of rabbits, and further identified through morphological, biochemical, and molecular tools. The growth inhibitory characteristics of AECS against pathogens were determined using disc diffusion assay. Surprisingly, the result revealed lack of antibacterial potential at tested concentrations. Further, in order to demonstrate the in vitro GP and fermentation parameters in rabbits, four treatments comprising of 0, 0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 mL extract/g dry matter (DM) of AECS were used. Results showed no linear or quadratic effect (P > 0.05) on in vitro GP and CH₄ production after the supplementation of AECS in the feeding diet. However, the inclusion of AECS at the concentration of 1.8 mL/g DM exhibited the lowest asymptotic CH₄ production and initial delay prior to CH₄ production. Similarly, the addition of AECS at 1.8 mL/g DM concentration reduced asymptotic GP as well as CH₄ production, and improved fermentation parameters of rabbits when compared with the control and other tested doses. In a nutshell, the tested doses of AECS showed lack of antibacterial trait against the pathogenic bacteria isolated from mouth, caecum, and anus of rabbits. Besides, the AECS exhibited the unique potentiality of reducing GP and improving diversified fermentation parameters in rabbits, thereby suggesting its plausible role as an alternative to commercially available growth promoters in livestock industries.