Physiological responses of rabbits fed with diets containing rapeseed meal, white lupine and pea seeds as soybean meal substitutes

Andrzej Gugołek,Cezary Zwoliński,Przemysław Sobiech,Dorota Kowalska,Jerzy Juśkiewicz,Janusz Strychalski

doi:10.1590/1413-70542018423003318

Abstract

ABSTRACT In recent years, a trend has emerged to eliminate soybean meal (SBM) from rabbit diets. It was hypothesized that a dietary mixture composed of rapeseed meal (RSM), white lupine seeds (WLS) and pea seeds (PS) could be a substitute for SBM in diets for growing rabbits without compromising their growth and physiological parameters. To verify this hypothesis, selected parameters describing the growth rate of rabbits, their blood and slaughter parameters and caecum function were analyzed. The experiment was performed on ninety HYPLUS rabbits. Control group (C) animals were fed a diet containing 15% SBM. The diet administered to the first experimental group (E1) contained 7.5% SBM, 5.0% RSM, 4.0% WLS and 3.0% PS. In the diet fed to the second experimental group (E2), SBM was completely replaced with RSM, WLS and PS. The substitution did not exert a significant negative effect on the growth rate of rabbits, selected morphological and biochemical blood parameters or carcass characteristics. The comparable growth parameters of control group rabbits and rabbits fed diets containing SBM substitutes could be partially attributed to beneficial changes in the enzymatic activity of caecal microbiota, which have a positive influence on fermentation processes in the lower gastrointestinal tract. The results of this study indicate that SBM can be completely replaced with a mixture of RSM, WLS and PS in growing rabbit diets.

Highlights

In recent years in the countries where soybean is not grown, studies have been conducted to completely or partially replace soybean meal in rabbit diets in order to use other locally grown protein sources instead of imported soybeans (Attia; El-Deek; Osman, 1998; Attia; Al-Harthi; El-Deek, 2003)
Similar final body weights of rabbits, indicate that all diets were well balanced, which points to high availability of nutrients, including amino acids contained in rapeseed meal (RSM), white lupine seeds (WLS) and pea seeds (PS)
In our study and in experiments performed by other authors, RSM, PS and WLS used as substitutes for SMB had no adverse influence on the growth rate of rabbits

Summary

Introduction

In recent years in the countries where soybean is not grown, studies have been conducted to completely or partially replace soybean meal in rabbit diets in order to use other locally grown protein sources instead of imported soybeans (Attia; El-Deek; Osman, 1998; Attia; Al-Harthi; El-Deek, 2003). It should be noted that the rearing period is relatively short in rabbits, and the potentially adverse effects of nutrition may not fully manifest themselves. This is an important consideration since legume plants and their by-products contain numerous antinutritional factors including tannins, antitrypsin, hemagglutinins, α-galactosidases, alkaloids and mycotoxins (Kasprowicz; Frankiewicz, 2003; Chilomer et al, 2010). Researchers are divided in their opinions about the influence of legumes, lupins on rabbit performance, but Kelly, Cheeke and Patton (1990) analyzed the efficacy of white lupine in rabbit nutrition and found that the animals were tolerant of lupine alkaloids

Methods

Results

Conclusion