Scientists have named a promising feed additive in industrial rabbit breeding

Rabbit farming is gaining popularity around the world as a profitable agricultural enterprise due to the animals' small size, fast growth rate, short gestation period, high fertility, and the ability to use feed and by-products as the main food ingredients. At the same time, additives are needed in intensive rabbit farming to improve animal HEALTH, protect against pathogens, as well as increase their productivity and well-being.

Rabbit MEAT has a high commercial value and is recognized as a popular, nutritious and healthy source of protein, bringing in a good income.

On the other hand, rabbits are susceptible to pathogens, especially when reared under stressful conditions.

There is a growing interest in the industrial rabbit sector in the use of natural feed additives, one of which was tested by a group of scientists from Egypt and published the results in an article published in the journal Animals 2022 on the MDPI portal.

“Exogenous enzymes are introduced into animal feed as natural alternatives in addition to endogenous enzymatic capabilities, which enhances the nutritional value of the feed, can promote caecal fermentation, and vary the concentration of volatile fatty acids, affecting the colonization of beneficial bacteria in the intestine, thereby helping to maintain good health of the animal. - Authors write. - Lysozyme, an enzyme derived from avian egg white, aids in the digestion and absorption of nutrients and provides protection against bacterial diseases by reducing the release of pollutants such as ammonia.

Lysozyme is a 1,4-β-N-acetylmuramidase with antimicrobial activity due to its ability to degrade peptidoglycan found in bacterial cell walls, resulting in loss of cell membrane integrity, causing cell death.

Thus, the aim of this study, which was carried out on a private commercial farm in Egypt, was to evaluate the effect of adding lysozyme to the diet of rabbits on growth performance, caecal fermentation, bacterial population, and blood composition.

A total of 420 growing male rabbits (age 30 days, weight 528 ± 16 g) were randomly divided into four groups of 105 rabbits each and observed for 42 days.

The experimental groups included a control group (LYZ0) fed a basal diet without LYZ supplementation and three treated groups fed the same basal diet supplemented with exogenous lysozyme at doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg, respectively.

The results showed a quadratic improvement in final body weight, daily growth rate and better nutrition. The percentage of feeding increased quadratically as the levels of LYZ in the diet of the rabbits increased.

In rabbits fed a diet with lysozyme, the amount of L. acidophilus increased linearly (p < 0.05), while L. cellobiosus and Enterococcus sp. the number increased quadratically, while the number of Escherichia coli decreased.

Administration of exogenous lysozyme improved rabbit growth performance and antioxidant status while lowering blood lipid profiles, altering bacterial populations, and regulating caecal fermentation. Thus, lysozyme at doses up to 150 mg/kg can be used as a potential feed additive for rabbits.”