article · Animal Biotechnology
Adding prebiotics to the diets of growing rabbits can enhance both biological performance and financial returns. In a trial using 120 weaned male rabbits from two breeds, diets were supplemented with either mannan-oligosaccharide at 0.3 percent or isomalto-oligosaccharide at 0.05 percent, alongside an unsupplemented control. Both prebiotic supplements led to higher final body weights and increased feed intake compared to the control group. Dietary isomalto-oligosaccharide produced the largest increase in duodenal villi length and area, improving gut structure. Both supplements boosted the size of the spleen white pulp, enhanced carcass characteristics, and modified the expression of key genes regulating growth, immunity, and nutrient metabolism across various tissues. Overall, incorporating these oligosaccharides into feed improved the general productive and economic efficiency of rabbit rearing.
Enhancing livestock diets with functional feed additives supports healthier animal growth and improves production yields. Demonstrating that specific prebiotics boost immune tissue, gut development, and overall body weight helps commercial rabbit producers identify effective feeding strategies. This allows farmers to achieve better carcass quality and improved financial returns without compromising animal health.
This applied research directly informs animal feed manufacturers and commercial rabbit farmers seeking to optimise feed formulations. By establishing specific inclusion rates for mannan-oligosaccharides and isomalto-oligosaccharides that improve growth and economic efficiency, the findings are tested and relatively close to farm-level implementation. Feed mills and livestock producers could readily adopt these prebiotic additives into existing feeding programmes to enhance production margins.
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The current study designed to evaluate the effect of oligosaccharide supplemented diets on growth performance, histomorphometric changes, economic efficiency and genetic expression of some growth and immunity-relative genes. One hundred and twenty weaned male rabbits, six weeks of age of two breeds (NZW and APPRI) were randomly allocated into six equal groups; the first supplemented with 0.3% Mannan-oligosaccharide (MOS), the second supplemented with 0.05% Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) and the third considered a control group. Each group contained ten equal replicates. The highest Final body weight and feed consumption were recorded in MOS and IMO groups compared with control. Fortified feed diet with IMO significantly increased duodenal villi area and length than MOS and control groups. At the same time, Spleen white bulb area and length were significantly higher in MOS and IMO than control. Supplementation of MOS and IMO significantly improved carcass traits, economic efficiency and induced certain modifications in some major key genes involved in the regulation of nutrients metabolism, immunity and growth in different tissues. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of MOS and IMO had a desirable positive impact on productive and economic efficiency in the rabbit.
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DOI: 10.1080/10495398.2020.1800485
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