Evaluation of haematological, serum biochemical and histopathological parameters of growing rabbits fed Amaranthus dubius

Abstract

Amaranthus dubius is an alternative source of fibre and protein for the feed formulation for growing rabbits, although its effects on their health status are yet unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effects of three dietary levels (0, 160 and 320 g/kg) of A. dubius on haematological, serum biochemical and histopathological parameters of fattening rabbits. One hundred and thirteen New Zealand White rabbits were fed ad libitum from weaning (35 days) to slaughter (87 days). The health status of the animals was monitored, and mortality was recorded. Before slaughtering, 30 rabbits were randomly selected for haematological and serum biochemical analysis. During slaughter, 18 rabbits were randomly selected for histopathological study in heart, liver, lung and small intestine. The health status of rabbits was good, with no differences among treatments in mortality. Diet and sex did not affect the values of most haematological and serum biochemical parameters. Fibrinogen, glucose and high-density lipoprotein values increased significantly from 0 to 320 g/kg A. dubius diets. The white blood cell count and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase values decreased significantly from 0 to 320 g/kg A. dubius diets. The organs showed histologically well-structured tissues. However, in all experimental groups several samples with lesions were observed, always highly focalized in small tissue areas. The main lesions observed, probably related to conditions of thermal stress affecting the rabbits, were cholesterolosis (heart), steatosis (liver), inflammatory lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate (lung) and chronic inflammatory tissue damage (small intestine). In conclusion, the inclusion of up to 320 g/kg A. dubius in diet did not jeopardize the health status of growing rabbits. Therefore, A. dubius can become an alternative raw material for the formulation of feeds in tropical and subtropical countries where this plant is widespread.

Nutritional Assessment of Dietary Bt and Cp4EPSPS Proteins on the Serum Biochemical Changes of Rabbits at Different Developmental Stages

“…Serum biochemical examination, in general, allows for clinical investigation of various constituents of animal bodies. This is especially significant in rabbits, as they demonstrate complex clinical signs that often disguise the disease conditions ( 22 ).…”

Hypolipidemic and Hypoglycaemic Effect of Wholemeal Bread with Amaranth (Amaranthus dubius Mart. ex Thell.) on Sprague Dawley Rats

“…It could also be used in the preparation of gluten-free products, i.e., functional foods for use in treating certain diseases associated with food consumption [27,28]. The nutritional and agronomic characteristics of amaranth make it a plant of potential interest for use in the human food and animal feed industries [29][30][31].…”

Seasonal influence on biochemical blood parameters in males of Californian rabbit breed

“…Californian rabbit breed is very popular фmong the meat rabbit breeds of rabbits in Ukraine and was imported in the seventies of last century (Skabal, 2014). Biochemical parameters of rabbit blood are important for determining the impact of commercial diets, immunomodulators, biologically active substances and feed additives on rabbit growth, development and resistance to diseases (Gumerov, 2015;Molina et al, 2017;Daader et al, 2018;Salisu et al, 2018;Habeeb et al, 2018). The basic values of blood serum components are necessary for the study, development and testing of rabbit disease controls in veterinary medicine (Gbore & Akele, 2010;Dontas et al 2011;Freitas et al 2011;Guo et al, 2017;Duda et al, 2018;Oohashi et al, 2019).…”