Abstract
Simple SummaryProbiotics are microorganisms that can interact with the host and with the other microbiota present in the gastrointestinal tract of the host. Rabbits’ digestive characteristics are based on highly specialised colonies of intestinal microorganisms, which makes them vulnerable to metabolic disorders. Probiotics can balance gut microbiota and have several positive effects on the health status of the animal, leading also to the increase of the growth performance and meat quality.The rabbit’s complex microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays a critical role in feed digestion, in vitamin production, in fermentative activity with production of volatile fatty acids, and stimulation of immune response, as well as in the infection defence against pathogens and countering environmental stresses. To prevent digestive disorders of this fragile ecosystem, rabbit breeders adopt suitable diets supplemented with additives such as probiotics. Probiotics can interact with the host and with the other microflora leading to an increased health status. A review on the effects of probiotics on rabbit growth performance, health status, and meat quality was conducted to reduce the incidence of digestive diseases and enhance productive performance. Some authors observed that the supplementation of probiotics to the diet improved feed conversion ratio and growth and digestion coefficients, while other authors reported a lack of effect on the live performance. Benefits derived from the use of probiotics were observed on the mortality and the morbidity. The studies performed, to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation in diets on the immune response, showed variations in the results. Some authors reported no significant effect on haematological parameters, such as total protein, immunoglobulins, and IgG, while others observed a significant increase or decrease of the same parameters. Most of the research reported significant modifications of intestinal morphology and positive effects on the GIT microbiota, supporting the host’s natural defences. Regarding the carcass and meat quality, the studies reported only partial and opposing results.
Highlights
Rabbit represents one of the most interesting production animals as, theoretically, it is an ideal meat-producing animal
Probiotics can interact with the host and with the other microflora leading to an increased health status
As the research articles deal with several different factors, such as rabbit breeds, sex, ages, type of basal diets, type of probiotics administration, duration of the trials, environmental conditions, etc., we report here a review of the main results focusing our attention on the productive performance of rabbits and how probiotics could contribute, due to their capacity to interact with feedstuffs, with other microorganisms, and with their host, to affect rabbits’ health status and production
Summary
Rabbit represents one of the most interesting production animals as, theoretically, it is an ideal meat-producing animal. The rabbit is a monogastric hindgut fermenter, as via caecotrophy its digestive physiology allows it to obtain proteins and vitamins Despite all these important features, rabbit consumption is decreasing worldwide, mostly in relation to the consumers’ acceptance and the requested cooking time [3]. Ready-to-cook products could be well accepted by consumers and meet new market trends [6,7] Despite this regression in European countries, rabbit farming is becoming an important emerging business in the developing countries, mostly in relation to the abovementioned productivity and to the already established highly specialised farming procedures, the technically advanced and unique livestock industry [8]. Rabbit farming faces a very critical step in the weaning period, as kits are separated from the mothers and solid feed replaces maternal milk [9]. Enteropathogenic Escherichia coli), leading to a multifactorial gastrointestinal syndrome (epizootic rabbit enteropathy, ERE) [10]
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