Impacts of Heat Stress on Rabbit Immune Function, Endocrine, Blood Biochemical Changes, Antioxidant Capacity and Production Performance, and the Potential Mitigation Strategies of Nutritional Intervention

Liang, Zi-Long; Chen, Fan; Park, Sungkwon; Balasubramanian, Balamuralikrishnan; Li, Wenchao

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.906084

Cited by 40 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 134 publications

(118 reference statements)

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“…Environmental stressors in the rabbit industry lead to a deterioration in rabbits’ health, e.g., organ damage, oxidative stress, disordered endocrine regulation, suppressed immune function and reproductive disorders, which cause decreased production performance [ 31 ]. Analysis of morphological and biochemical parameters of blood is an important part of assessing the physiological, nutritional and pathological status of an animal.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of the Housing System, Season and the Linseed Oil Ethyl Esters Additive on Selected Blood Parameters in Rabbits

Roman

Wilk

Książek³

et al. 2022

Animals

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The composition of the diet, including the amount and type of lipid supplements, influences the products formed in the digestive tract, their levels in the blood and their deposition in the tissues. One example of a plant rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids is flax (Linum usitatissimum). The aim of the presented work was to evaluate the effect of the linseed oil ethyl esters additive and environmental conditions on the selected rabbit blood parameters. The study included two types of animal maintenance (laboratory conditions and external conditions) and two seasons (summer and winter), a total of four study stages. At each stage, a control group and an experimental group were specified. The feed supplement in the form of esterified linseed oil was administered to the experimental animals for two months. The blood samples were collected at the beginning of the experiment, as well as at the end of treatment. Moreover, blood samples were collected also after two months from the end of the experiment. During the experiment, morphological and biochemical parameters of the rabbits’ blood were examined. The results of the content of fatty acids were determined in the erythrocytes and serum blood samples and grouped into saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, especially omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In an internal study, the influence of housing conditions and season on selected morphological and biochemical parameters of rabbit blood was confirmed. Furthermore, expected beneficial changes in the fatty acid profile in erythrocytes and blood serum were observed as a result of supplementation. A significant increase in omega-3 fatty acids was noted as well as a substantial decrease in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (p < 0.01). Most importantly, the linseed oil ethyl ester supplement used did not adversely affect the health of the rabbits, as evidenced by biochemical and blood morphological indices remaining within, known so far, reference limits or showing only slight fluctuations (p > 0.05). However, the obtained results extend the database of hematological blood parameters in rabbits, thus, contributing to improvements in laboratory diagnostics for fur animals.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of the Housing System, Season and the Linseed Oil Ethyl Esters Additive on Selected Blood Parameters in Rabbits

Roman

Wilk

Książek³

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…On the contrary, other studies have found a lower FCR in rabbits raised in heat stress conditions leading to higher feed efficiency. Ondruska et al, 2011;Terhes et al, 2018;Matics et al, 2021) The failure in the zootechnical performance of rabbits subjected to thermal stress is probably due to the reduction in feed intake (Ali and Abdel-Wareth, 2014;Liang et al, 2022). A decrease in feed consumption is a common reaction to heat stress conditions (Ali and Abdel-Wareth, 2014;Okab et al, 2008).…”

Section: Growth Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…J., 12 (4): 405-417. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.54203/scil.2022.wvj51 reactions affect rabbits by disrupting their physiological functions and behavioral performance (El Sabry et al, 2021;Mutwedu et al, 2021;Liang et al, 2022), such as impairment of appetite, alteration of the feed efficiency and growth performance, milk yield, and reproduction in rabbits, leading to considerable production and economic losses (Plá et al, 1994;Zeferino et al, 2011). It was reported that a reduction of body temperature to 1°C or less suppresses both physiological and growth performance in livestock (Manca et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Heat Stress on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Physiological Components, and Biochemical Parameters in Local Algerian Growing Rabbits

Dahmani¹,

Benali²,

Saidj³

et al. 2022

WVJ

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Heat stress is a detrimental factor affecting the welfare of all livestock, especially rabbits, as they are sensitive to high temperatures. The current study investigated the effect of high ambient temperature on growth performance, slaughter traits, physiological indicators, and some hematological and biochemical parameters in Algerian local growing rabbits. A total of 48 local rabbits of both sexes (35 days old) were allotted into two groups (24 per group). The control group rabbits were exposed to an ambient temperature and humidity, averaging 21.8 ± 1.3°C and 51.7 ± 3.6%, respectively. Rabbits in the heat stress group were subjected to a warm ambient temperature and humidity of 30.5 ± 1.82°C and 65.5 ± 7.2%, respectively. The growth performance was measured and calculated from 35 to 91 days of age. Physiological indicators (rectal, skin, and ear temperatures, respiratory, and heart rates) were examined at 88 days of age. The carcass traits, blood metabolites, and hematological parameters of rabbits were measured and calculated at slaughter (92 days of age). The obtained results indicated a decrease in body weight, daily gain, and daily feed intake of rabbits in heat stress rabbits, compared to the control group. However, feed conversion ratio was significantly higher in the heat stress group, compared to the control. Heat stress group rabbits showed significantly higher blood metabolite levels, except the glycemia, which was similar in both groups. No significant effect of heat stress was found on the carcass yield, anterior, posterior, and intermediate parts of the carcass. However, the yield of the other components of the carcass (liver, kidney, peritoneal and inter-scapular fat) was significantly lower in the heat stress group. In the heat stress group, rectal, skin, and ear temperatures as well as heart and respiratory rates, were significantly higher than those of the control group. In the present experimental conditions, exposure of local rabbits to chronic heat stress could induce some changes to biological, physiological, and biochemical parameters leading to altered growth performance.

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“…This change in atmospheric temperature will generate heat stress conditions in tropical and subtropical regions like the south of the Mediterranean, especially in the open production system, which is the most common farm type in Egypt ( 4 ). Rabbit is sensitive to high environmental temperatures and has a low capacity to cope with high ambient temperatures ( 5 ), which negatively affect health, behavior, physiology, reproduction, welfare, meat quality, and production performance of rabbits ( 6 , 7 ). Therefore, heat stress is associated with economic losses to the rabbit industry.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In rabbits, reproductive performance of does is important, and litter traits are the most important traits, which affect the economic benefits of rabbit production that provide the needed animal protein with low capital outlay and time ( 7 ). In this way, Cartuche et al ( 19 ) reported that feed conversion rate during the fattening period, litter size, weaning survival, fattening survival and daily gain during the fattening period are the most economic traits in rabbits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genotype by heat conditions interaction effects on growth and litter traits in rabbits

et al. 2022

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Heat stress has severe impacts on rabbit performance because they have difficulty getting rid of excess heat. The interaction between genetic and environmental factors plays a vital role in the adaptation process. The current study aimed to evaluate the effects of interaction between the genotype and heat conditions (G×H) on litter size and growth traits. Two rabbit lines were used in the current study, Egyptian maternal line (APRI) and New Zealand White (NZW). The rabbits were raised under normal (22°C) or heat stress (35°C) conditions. The does were raised in individual cages, and their kits were reared under the same conditions. Negative effects of heat conditions were noted for litter traits, as heat stress had significantly reduced the number of born alive, total born, and marketed number rabbits by about 16, 11, and 25%, respectively. Moreover, growth traits were reduced under heat stress conditions compared to normal temperature conditions. Significant differences between genotypes were observed, APRI rabbits were higher than NWZ rabbits in the total born, number of born alive, number weaned, and the number of marketed rabbits by 10, 8, 11, and 10%, respectively. Genotype by heat conditions interaction effects were observed, APRI litters under normal conditions showed significantly higher litter traits than NWZ litters, whereas relevant reductions in litter traits of APRI line than NZW litters when reared in heat conditions. For growth traits, the differences between the two lines under normal conditions were reduced when animals of the two lines were raised under heat stress, for BW28, BW42, BW63, ADG28−42, and DF28−42 while these differences were increased for ADG42−63, DF28−42 and feed conversion during the whole fattening period. Based on the observed G × H interactions, it is important to select the animals under the same production conditions to raise rabbits that can cope with the expected global warming conditions.

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Impacts of Heat Stress on Rabbit Immune Function, Endocrine, Blood Biochemical Changes, Antioxidant Capacity and Production Performance, and the Potential Mitigation Strategies of Nutritional Intervention

Cited by 40 publications

References 134 publications

The Effect of the Housing System, Season and the Linseed Oil Ethyl Esters Additive on Selected Blood Parameters in Rabbits

The Effect of the Housing System, Season and the Linseed Oil Ethyl Esters Additive on Selected Blood Parameters in Rabbits

Effects of Heat Stress on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Physiological Components, and Biochemical Parameters in Local Algerian Growing Rabbits

Genotype by heat conditions interaction effects on growth and litter traits in rabbits

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