Rice gluten meal as a substitute for soybean meal in the diets for growing rabbits

Fawzia A Hassan; Rashed A Alhotan; Youssef A Attia; Khalid M Mahrose; Hamdy F Amin; Ibrahim H Salim; Lamiaa F Abdel-Mawla; Fulvia Bovera; Amira M Mansour; Izabela Michalak

doi:10.1080/1745039X.2023.2284529

Rice gluten meal as a substitute for soybean meal in the diets for growing rabbits

Arch Anim Nutr. 2023 Dec;77(6):497-511. doi: 10.1080/1745039X.2023.2284529. Epub 2024 Jan 24.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Animal Production Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt.
² Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
³ Animal and Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, Egypt.
⁴ Animal and Poultry Production Department, Faculty of Technology and Development, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
⁵ Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.
⁶ Poultry Production Department, Agriculture College, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.
⁷ Department of Advanced Material Technologies, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wroclaw, Poland.

PMID: 38189144
DOI: 10.1080/1745039X.2023.2284529

Abstract

The impacts of different dietary levels of rice gluten meal (RGM) on growth performance, digestibility, carcass characteristics, and blood traits of growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits were studied. One hundred and twenty, 6 weeks old weaned male rabbits (body weight; 682 [g] ± 23) were randomly allotted into four groups. The control diet contained 160 [g/kg] soybean meal (SBM), while the other three diets were obtained by replacing 40, 80, and 120 [g/kg] SBM with RGM (RGM40, RGM80, and RGM120, respectively). The results showed that RGM contained higher levels of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), ash, and gross energy than SBM. RGM contained a high level of arginine followed by leucine and valine as essential amino acids and high levels of glutamic, aspartic acid, and alanine as non-essential amino acids. The obtained results showed that the final body weight of rabbits fed diets containing 40, 80, and 120 [g/kg] RGM was higher than those fed the control diet. The daily weight gain of rabbits fed RGM diets increased (p < 0.05) by 10.50%, 6.50%, and 10.00%, respectively, compared to the control group. Rabbits fed RGM80 showed the highest (p < 0.05) digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), EE, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and acid detergent fibre (ADF) compared to the other tested levels. Rabbits fed RGM120 had the highest (p < 0.05) digestible energy (DE) and digestible crude protein (DCP) values. RGM inclusion levels of 40 and 80 [g/kg] increased (p < 0.05) plasma total protein and albumin compared to the control group. Rabbits fed a diet containing RGM40 had the highest (p < 0.05) globulin level. The highest (p < 0.05) plasma urea concentration level was measured in the rabbit group fed the RGM120 diet. Conclusively, RGM could be a valuable ingredient for growing rabbits, as at all the tested levels improved growth performance, digestibility, and nutritional values.

Keywords: Oryctolagus cuniculus; Rice gluten meal; blood profiles; carcass traits; growth performance; nutrient digestibility.

MeSH terms

Animal Feed / analysis
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Animals
Detergents
Diet* / veterinary
Digestion
Flour
Glutens
Male
Oryza*
Rabbits
Weight Gain

Substances

Glutens
Detergents