Dietary Supplementation of Rauvolfia Vomitoria Root Extract as A Phytogenic Feed Additive in Growing Rabbit Diets: Growth Performance and Caecal Microbial Population

Volume 4 - Issue 2

Alagbe JO*

Received: January 03, 2021;   Published: February 02, 2021

DOI: 10.32474/CDVS.2021.04.000184

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Abstract

The objective of this study is to evaluate the dietary supplementation of Rauvolfia vomitoria root extract as a phytogenic feed additive in growing rabbit’s diets: growth performance and caecal microbial population. A total of thirty (30) weaned rabbits were divided into five treatments with three replicates per treatment of 2 rabbits per replicate in a completely randomized design. Animals in treatment 1 (control) were fed diet basal diet with no Rauvolfia vomitoria root extract (RVME) while T2, T3, T4 and T5 were fed RVME at 20 ml, 40 ml, 60 ml and 80 ml/litre. The experiment lasted for 12 weeks and other management practices were strictly observed. Data collected were used to examine the growth performance (average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio) and caecal microbial population (Escherichia coli and lactobacilli count). Average daily weight (ADWG) was significantly (P ˂0.05) different among the treatments. Feeding rabbits RVME from 20 ml to 80 ml/litre tends to increase the average daily feed intake (ADFI) though not a significant rate (P ˃0.05). Highest mortality was recorded in T1 with (1.10 %), none was recorded in the other treatments (P ˂0.05). Lactobacilli and Escherichia coli count were influenced by the dietary treatments (P ˂0.05). Escherichia coli count significantly reduced as the level of RVME increases while increasing RVME from 20 ml to 80 ml/ litre tend to increase lactobacilli count (P ˂0.05). It was concluded that RVME contains several bioactive chemicals and could be fed to growing rabbits at 80 ml/litre without any deleterious effect on the performance and caeca microbial population of the animals. be used to bridge the gap between food safety and production. Thus, preventing environmental contamination and high case of diseases.

Keywords:Growing rabbits; rauvolfia vomitoria root; performance; phytochemicals

Abstract| Introduction| Materials and Methods| Results and Discussion| Conclusion| Funding| Conflicts of Interest| References|