EFFECT OF DIETARY SUPPLEMENTAL ZINC SOURCE AND LEVEL ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, DIGESTIBILITY COEFFICIENTS AND IMMUNE RESPONSE OF NEW ZEALAND WHITE RABBITS | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Nutrition and Feeds | ||||
| Article 37, Volume 18, Issue 2 Special, November 2015, Page 383-390 PDF (413.03 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejnf.2015.104497 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| Samia Z. Meshreky1; Sabbah M. Allam2; M. A.F. El-Manilawi2; H. F. Amin1 | ||||
| 1Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Centre, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| 2Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study was carried out to investigate the effect of dietary zinc (Zn) supplementation in inorganic (zinc sulfate, ZnSO4) and organic (zinc methionine, Zn-Met) forms at two levels (100 or 200 mg/kg diet) on growth performance, digestibility coefficients and immune response of New Zealand White (NZW) male rabbits. One hundred male NZW rabbit (at 6 weeks of age, 808 ± 11g average body weight) were divided into five homogenous groups. The 1st group was fed basal diet including vitamins & minerals premix which contained 58 mg Zn as a control, the 2nd and the 3rd groups were fed on the same diet supplemented with 100 or 200 mg Zn/kg diet as zinc sulfate (ZnSO4, inorganic form) and the 4th and the 5th groups were fed on the same diet supplemented with 100 or 200 mg Zn/kg diet as zinc methionine (Zn-Met, organic form). Results showed that live body weight at 22 wks of age and total body weight gain of rabbits fed diets supplemented with Zn was significantly (P<0.01) higher than those fed diet without supplementation. Rabbits fed diet supplemented with 200 mg Zn-Met/kg diet had significantly heaviest body weight, followed by rabbits fed diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn-Meth/kg diet than groups fed diet supplemented with 200 and 100 mg ZnSO4. Rabbits fed diets supplemented with Zn-Met or ZnSO4 converted feed better than those fed diets without supplementation. Rabbits fed diets supplemented of Zn-Meth at 200 or 100 mg/Kg diets improved nutrients digestibility and nutritive values expressed as TDN and DCP of diets. Zn supplementation (Zn-Meth or ZnSO4) to rabbit diets significantly (P<0.01) affected cell-mediated immune response at different hours post injection of phytohemoagglutinins (PHA). Zn from Zn-Meth (200 or 100 mg/kg diets) significantly increased heighten cellular immunity than zinc from ZnSO4. Rabbits fed diets supplemented with Zn (Zn-Meth or ZnSO4) with any levels had significantly (P<0.01) higher antibody titer against sheep red blood cell (SRBC) at different weeks post immunization than those fed control diets. Zn-Meth improved significantly antibody titer against SRBC than zinc from ZnSO4. Inclusion 200 mg Zn-Met/kg diet significantly improved antibody titer post three weeks of SRBC injection than 100 mg Zn-Met. It can be concluded that dietary Zn methionine (organic form( at level of 200 mg/kg of rabbit diet improved nutrients digestibility and nutritive values of diets, which could be associated with better growth performance and immune efficiency. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Rabbit; zinc inorganic and organic; growth and immune response | ||||
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