article · Animals
This study evaluated the use of orange peel extract and tomato pomace extract as natural dietary sources of ascorbic acid for growing male rabbits. Researchers tested four feeding groups using an untreated control diet, a synthetic ascorbic acid supplement, and diets enriched with either orange peel extract or tomato pomace extract. Both agro-industrial extracts supplied natural ascorbic acid, with higher concentrations measured in the orange peel extract. Supplemented rabbits showed enhanced growth performance and heavier carcass weights without altering the feed conversion ratio. The supplements reduced abdominal, back, and kidney fat deposits as well as the ether extract of meat. In addition, the botanical additives reduced plasma total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels while elevating antioxidant enzyme activity and overall economic efficiency.
Agricultural by-products like orange peels and tomato pomace often go to waste. Demonstrating that extracts from these materials can replace synthetic vitamins in animal diets offers a dual benefit. It provides a sustainable method to improve rabbit health and meat quality with less fat, while reducing the environmental burden of food processing waste.
This research is at an applied and tested stage in growing rabbits, pointing towards potential formulation into commercial feed additives. Animal feed manufacturers and livestock producers could use these agro-industrial by-products as natural, low-cost alternatives to synthetic ascorbic acid. However, scaling up will require establishing standard extraction methods and supply chains for processing peel and pomace residues into feed-grade ingredients.
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The effect of dietary orange peel (OPE) and tomato pomace extract (TPE) supplementations on growth performance, plasma biochemicals, carcass characteristics and antioxidant status of growing male rabbits were investigated. A total of 96 rabbits (5 weeks old) were distributed into four groups. The first group received untreated pelleted diet (control). The second group was fed a diet containing ascorbic acid (AA; 1.0 g/kg diet), while the third and fourth groups consumed diets supplemented with 200 gm of OPE or (TPE, respectively. Our results indicated that OPE and TPE contained 59, 14.03 mg ascorbic acid/100 g DM, respectively. Growth performance, except feed conversion ratio, and carcass weight were improved by dietary supplementations. Dietary supplementations decreased kidneys, abdominal, back fats and ether extract of meat. Plasma protein and globulin levels were high in rabbits fed AA and TPE-supplemented diets. Low plasma total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were observed in rabbits fed the supplemented diets. Plasma AA was increased in rabbits fed AA and OPE-supplemented diets. Rabbits fed OPE and TPE-supplemented diets had great SOD activity. The best economic efficiency was recorded by rabbits fed the supplemented diets. Dietary supplementations of OPE and TPE could effectively improve growth performance, antioxidative status, modulate AA level in plasma and meat and lower plasma total cholesterol and LDL.
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DOI: 10.3390/ani11061688
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