Performance of Rabbits Fed Diets Containing Different Levels of Energy and Lesser Galangal (Alpinia Officinarum)

Sh A M Ibrahim,Ali F A F,H A A Omer,El-Mallah El-Mallah G M

doi:10.5539/jas.v3n4p241

Abstract

This work aimed to study the effect of two different levels of ration energy supplemented with Alpinia officinarum. Rabbits were classified into six equal groups (G1-G6). The 1st and 4th groups received basal ration with 100 % and 90 % energy requirement and served as first and second control respectively. The 2nd and the 3rd groups received basal ration with 100 % energy requirement supplemented with Alpinia officinarum at the level of 0.5 and 1.0 %, respectively. The 5th and 6th groups received basal ration with 90 % energy requirement with Alpinia officinarum at the level of 0.5 and 1.0 %, respectively. The 90% energy containing diet showed significant increased (P<0.05) in DM and CF digestibility, while EE digestibility was significantly (P<0.05) decreased. Lesser galangal as feed additives showed significant (P<0.05) increased in DM, OM, CF, NFE digestibility and TDN value. There were significant interaction values between energy and supplementation levels on digestibility coefficient of DM, OM, CF, EE, NFE and TDN value. Supplementation of Lesser galangal at 0.5 % or 1% significantly increased final body weight gain, ADG, feed conversion, while slightly decreased feed intake. The 90% energy and 1% lesser galangal (G6) recorded the best values of final body weight, body daily weight gain and feed conversion. The interaction values between energy and lesser galangal levels significantly increased (P<0.05) the carcass weight, dressing percentages and carcass cuts. The 90% energy and 1% lesser galangal (G6) recorded the best values of carcass weight, dressing percentages and carcass cuts. Lesser galangal significantly (P<0.05) decreased the lungs (weight and % of SW); content of stomach and empty of small intestine (weight and % of SW). The interaction values between energy and lesser galangal levels significantly (P<0.05) increased the liver and total internal offal's (% of SW); lungs, full and content of stomach as well as digestive tract content (weight, g and % of SW). Dietary 90% energy requirements with 0.5 % or 1% lesser galangal showed the high values of net revenue, economical efficiency and relative economic efficiency, while recorded the low value of feed cost/ kg live body weight (LE). Rabbits received the 90 % energy requirement with 0.5 % lesser galangal recorded the highest value of relative economic efficiency (111.4%) and the lowest value of feed cost/ kg live body weight (5.45 LE).

Highlights

It has found that some medicinal plants had some properties as growth enhancement
The 90% energy level significantly improved (P
Similar results obtained in rabbit by (Gidenne 1992), who reported that adaptation to a high-fibre diet resulted in a higher digestive volume for colon and caecum, related to an improved degradation of cell wall

Summary

Introduction

It has found that some medicinal plants had some properties as growth enhancement. Some medicinal plants can be used as natural additives, tonic and restoratives in animal and poultry diets (Boulos, 1983), or to improve either of growth performance, immunity and the viability (El-Hindawy et al, 1996). Alpinia officinarum rhizome has long been used as an anti-inflammatory, an analgesic, a stomachic and a carminative in traditional medicine (Lee et al, 2009). Lesser galangal (Kholengan) used is the dried rhizomes of Alpinia officinarum (AO) belonging to the family zingeberaeceae (Srividya et al, 2010). The root contains a volatile oil resin, galangol, kaempferid, galangin and alpinin, starch, etc. The active principles are the volatile oil and acrid resin. Methanol extract of (AO) rhizome showed a majority of the compound including tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids and saponins (Subramanian et al, 2009)

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