Effect of catalase on the growth performance, antioxidation, and microbial metabolism of weaned rabbits

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of catalase (CAT) on the growth performance, antioxidation, and microbial metabolism of weaned rabbits. Dietary treatments consisted of control and CAT supplementation at 100 (T1), 150 (T2), and 200 IU/kg of diet (T3). A total of 240 weaned rabbits were randomly assigned to 4 groups with 6 replicates of 10 rabbits each. The feeding trial lasted for 28 days. Results showed that T2 and T3 increased (P < 0.05) body weight gain and gain/feed ratio, and decreased (P < 0.05) diarrhoea rate, compared to the control. Also, serum antioxidative parameters and oxidative stress products were beneficially regulated (P < 0.05) by the dietary CAT administration. Faecal microbiota including Bacteroidetes, Prevotella, and Bifidobacterium in T2 or T3 was increased (P < 0.05). Dietary CAT with changed microbiota further influenced the metabolites from carbohydrates and proteins, evidenced by increased lactic acid, acetate, branched-chain fatty acids, and short-chain fatty acids, and decreased valerate, isovalerate, methylamine, tryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and total amines. It is concluded that CAT can be used to improve growth performance by beneficially regulating the antioxidation, microbiota, and metabolites in weaned rabbits.