Dietary effects of Garcinia kola seed meal on growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits

Stanley Uzochukwu Ilo; Eunice Amaka Akuru; Jonathan Chinonso Egbo; Chika Ethelbert Oyeagu; Henry Oyeji Edeh

doi:10.14202/vetworld.2021.499-507

Dietary effects of Garcinia kola seed meal on growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits

Vet World. 2021 Feb;14(2):499-507. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.499-507. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Authors

Stanley Uzochukwu Ilo¹, Eunice Amaka Akuru^{1

2}, Jonathan Chinonso Egbo¹, Chika Ethelbert Oyeagu³, Henry Oyeji Edeh¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Science, University of Nigeria Nsukka 410001, Nigeria.
² Department of Livestock and Pasture Science, University of Fort Hare, Private Bag X1314, Alice 5700, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
³ Department of Agriculture, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Wellington Campus, Private Bag X8, Wellington 7654, Western Cape, South Africa.

Abstract

Background and aim: Garcinia kola seed (GKS) is used to prevent and cure a number of gastric-related ailments. GKS contain a copious amount of polyphenols and can be utilized as a natural growth promoter in the nutrition of weaned rabbits. This study aimed to determine the dietary effects of GKS meal (GKSM) on the growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits.

Materials and methods: GKS were dried and ground into powder. Thirty-two 8-week-old crossbred rabbits with an average weight of 614 g were randomly divided into four dietary groups. The diets were designated as follows: Control (corn-soybean based diet with 0% GKSM) and the GKSM-supplemented diets with 1.5% GKSM, 3% GKSM, and 4.5% GKSM. On the 56^th day of the feeding trial, blood was collected from the marginal ear vein of all rabbits and transferred into two separate labeled tubes. The first set of blood was used to determine the hematological indices. The second set of blood was transferred into plain bottles and allowed to coagulate. The coagulated blood was subjected to standard methods of serum separation, and the sera were harvested and used to evaluate serum biochemical parameters.

Results: Although the average final body weight was highest in rabbits fed with 1.5% GKSM; this value was similar to rabbits fed with 0% and 4.5% GKSM. The average daily weight gain was highest in rabbits fed with 1.5% GKSM, while the feed conversion ratio was improved in the 0% and 1.5% GKSM groups. The dietary treatments also had a significant effect on the red blood cell count (RBC) and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, while other blood parameters did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). Higher inclusion levels (3% and 4.5%) of GKSM led to a significant increase in RBC and Hb values (p < 0.05). The total protein increased at all levels of GKSM inclusion (p < 0.05). Bilirubin, sodium, and potassium levels significantly decreased at 4.5% GKSM inclusion (p < 0.05). Urea levels were lowered at 1.5% and 4.5% GKSM inclusion, while cholesterol levels were decreased at 3% and 4.5% dietary levels.

Conclusion: From the results of the present study, the supplementation of up to 4.5% GKSM revealed no harmful effect on the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of weaned rabbits, while their growth performance improved at a 1.5% inclusion level of GKSM.

Keywords: Garcinia kola; performance; production; rabbits; supplementation.