Abstract
The study was conducted to determine the effects of the inclusion of a natural extract of chestnut wood (Silvafeed ENC), rich in tannins, in the diet on growth performance and antioxidant status in growing rabbits under high ambient temperature (35 °C). A total of 120 New Zealand male rabbits (average body weight 1123 ± 13.5 g, 40 d old) were divided into three groups (40 rabbits per group) and fed a basal diet or the basal diet with 5 or 10 g of ENC/kg of diet (C, ENC5 and ENC10, respectively). Rabbits had free access to diets and water in an environmentally controlled room at 35 °C and 55% relative humidity during the entire period (21 d). On d 7, 14 and 21 of the trial, body weight and feed intake were measured and blood samples collected for assay of antioxidant indices. Liver tissue samples were collected on d 21 for assay of antioxidant indices. Results showed that ENC supplementation increased (P<0.05) average daily gain (ADG) in the first week of the trial. Compared with the control group, the ENC5 reduced (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the ENC10 increased (P<0.05) average daily feed intake (ADFI). From d 8 to 14 of the trial, the ENC5 increased (P<0.05) ADG and reduced (P<0.05) FCR. In the last week, the ENC10 group showed a higher (P<0.05) ADG and lower (P<0.05) FCR than the control group. Compared with the control group, ADFI was reduced (P<0.01) by ENC5 treatment. For the overall period, ENC supplementation had a positive effect (P<0.05) on ADG and FCR. The final body weight of the ENC5 group was higher (P<0.05) than the control group. Furthermore, on d 7, the inclusion of ENC increased (P<0.05) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced (P<0.01) malondialdehyde (MDA). The rabbits fed ENC5 had significantly (P<0.05) lower cortisol and higher (P<0.05) total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) than the control group. On d 14, addition of ENC increased T-AOC (P<0.01) and reduced MDA (P<0.01). The ENC5 group showed lower (P<0.05) cortisol and higher (P<0.05) GSH-Px than the control group. On d 21, the rabbits in ENC-treated groups had higher (P<0.01) GSH-Px activities than rabbits in the control group. The rabbits fed with the ENC10 diet had higher (P<0.05) SOD compared with the control rabbits. In contrast, the opposite was true for cortisol (P<0.05) and MDA (P<0.05). On d 21, MDA was lower (P<0.01) with dietary ENC than without ENC in liver tissue. Hepatic GSH-Px activity of rabbits fed with the ENC10 diet was higher (P<0.05) than that of the control group. ENC supplementation seemed to have a positive influence on the growth performance and antioxidant status of growing rabbits under high ambient temperature.
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