IMPACT OF PUMPKIN OIL AND COPPER AND THEIR SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF WEANING MALE RABBITS

Elspeiy, Mohamed; Elsawy, Mohamed; Sadaka, Tarek; Habib, Mahmoud; Abou-Shehema, Bahaa; Shahba, Hossam A; El Naggar, Asmaa

doi:10.21608/ejrs.2023.333974

IMPACT OF PUMPKIN OIL AND COPPER AND THEIR SYNERGISTIC EFFECTS ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF WEANING MALE RABBITS

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Anim. Prod. Res. Instit., Agric. Res. Cent., Egypt

² Rabbit Res. Department, Anim. Prod. Res. Inst., ARC, Ministry of Agric., Egypt.

³ 1- Rabbit Res. Dept., Anim. Prod. Res. Ins., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt

⁴ Rabbit Res. Dept., Anim. Prod. Res. Ins., Agric. Res. Center, Egypt

⁵ Dept. of Anim. and Poultry Prod., Fac. of Agric.,

10.21608/ejrs.2023.333974

Abstract

This study was conducted to assess the influence of pumpkin seed oil (PSO), copper sulfate (CuSO₄) and their synergistic effects on the productive performance, physiological response and economic efficiency of weaning rabbits. Sixty weaned Californian male rabbits at 5 weeks of age with an average initial weight of 582.83±34.47 g were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (15 each). The first group was fed the basal diet and served as a control (G1). While, the 2^nd (G2), fed the basal diet supplemented with 5 ml of PSO/kg diet; the 3^rd (G3), fed the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg CuSO₄/kg diet and the 4^th (G4), fed the basal diet supplemented with 5 ml PSO and 200 mg CuSO₄/kg diet. Results showed that rabbits in G3 and G4 had significantly higher final body weight (FBW), total body gain (TBG) and performance index (PI), while having lower feed consumption (FC) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared with G1. Rabbits in G3 recorded significantly higher values of organic matter (OM) digestibility compared to the other groups. Also, dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) digestibility were significantly improved in G3 compared with either G1 or G2 without significant when compared with G4. Hot carcass and total edible part % were significantly (P≤0.05) increased in all treated groups especially G4 compared to G1. While, total protein (TP), globulin (Glb), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and were significantly higher (P≤0.05) in G3 and G4, while, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine (CR),triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and very low-density lipoprotein (V-LDL) concentrations decreased compared with G1. All rabbits in supplemented groups recorded significantly (P≤0.05) higher values of plasma growth hormone (GH), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and plasma thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) compared with G1. Plasma IgG and IgM concentrations, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) significantly increased while, malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased in all supplemented groups compared with G1. Economic efficiency was significantly improved in G3, followed by G4, while the worth value of economic efficiency found in G2 which significantly decreased compared with the control group.
Conclusion: Pumpkin oil showed an improvement in productive performance and various blood characteristics, as well as copper, but copper had a great advantage in improving economic efficiency, especially when added alone, unlike pumpkin oil, which showed a decrease in economic efficiency compared to the control.
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