Studies on the fortification of rabbit meat with organic Selenium and vitamin E and their effects on antioxidative status and immune response in growing rabbits

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of supplemented different dietary vitamin E and organic Se (Sel-Plex) levels and their combinations on body weight, growth rate, meat quality characteristics, plasma lipid peroxidation, antioxidative status and immune response in growing rabbits. The present study was carried out at the Poultry Research Farm belonging to Department of Animal and Fish Production Department, Facu1ty of Agriculture (Saba Basha), Alexandria University during the period from December 2008 to February 2009 A 4x3 factorial design was conducted. Vitamin E was supplemented in 4 levels 0, 250, 500 and 750 mglkg diet and Organic Se (Sel-Plex) was supplemented in 3 levels 0, 0.15 and 0.3 mg/kg diet to the basal diet containing 20IU ofVitE and 0.60 mg/kg ofSe. The basal diets were un-supplemented or supplemented with the following: R 1 . Basal diet only without supplementation (Served as control). R2. Basal diet +0.15 mg organic selenium/kg diet R3. Basal diet + 0.3 mg organic selenium/kg diet . Basal diet + 250 mg Vitamin E/kg diet Rs. Basal diet +250 mg Vitamin E/kg diet +0.15 mg organic selenium/kg diet R6. Basal diet + 250 mg Vitamin E/kg diet+0.3 mg organic selenium/kg diet R7. Basal diet +500 mg Vitamin E/kg diet Rs. Basal diet +500 mg Vitamin E/kg diet+0.15 mg organic selenium/kg diet R9. Basal diet +500 mg Vitamin E/kg diet+ 0.3 mg organic selenium/kg diet R10. Basal diet+ 750 mg Vitamin E/kg diet Ru. Basal diet+ 750 mg Vitamin E/kg diet+0.15 mg organic selenium/kg diet Rt2• Basal diet+ 750 mg Vitamin E/kg diet+0.3 mg organic selenium/kg diet The main results obtained could be summarized as follows: 1. At 13 wk of age, the heaviest body weights were observed on rabbits fed 750 mg vitamin E /kg (1811.3 g) compared with control (1691. 4 g). 2. Organic Se as a feed supplement (0.3, 0.15 and 0 ppm) improved live body weight 1802.3, 1758.7 and 1701.8, respectively. 3. Dietary vitamin E 750 mg/kg +organic Se 0.3 ppm resulted in increasing the live body weight (1864.3 g) compared to control (1615.3 g). 4.During the whole growing period, supplementation of the basal diets with 750 mg vitamin E /kg diet increased significantly the feed intake (2878.2 g) compared to control (2787.1 g). 5. Analyzing of data of the interactions between dietary levels of vitamin E and organic Se on feed consumption during the whole fatting period showed that feeding vitamin E 750 mg/kg +organic Se 0.3 ppm resulted in increasing the feed intake (2906.2 g) compared to control (2728.2 g). 6. Almost of carcass and organs traits measurements was not differ due to dietary supplementation of vitamin E and organic Se or their combination. 7. Statistically significant differences (P:S 0.05) were observed in plasma total antioxidant capacity between control and 500 and 750 mg/kg treatments in growing rabbits. 8. Different dietary levels of organic Se showed a positive effect on antioxidative properties as measured by total antioxidant capacity when compared with control (P:S 0.05).