Current Applications and Trends in Rabbit Nutraceuticals

: To ensure the sustainability of rabbit production and protect the global rabbit industry, costeffective and practical strategies for improving rabbit production and meat quality must be developed. Recently, rabbit farming, like other animal farming, has faced feed shortages due to the impact of climate change, high competition among livestock species, and war conditions. The continued use of conventional feed additives in rabbit diets, whether derived from plant or animal sources, has become a critical issue. Furthermore, there is a global trend toward finding natural alternatives to synthetic drugs, such as antibiotics, in rabbit farms. Finding readily available and alternative feed additives is therefore critical to protecting the rabbit industry, particularly in subtropical and Mediterranean-developing countries. Nutraceuticals positively influence several physiological and productive traits in animals, as well as enhancing their health and welfare. The present review aims to provide an overview of previous studies on the potential of using some plant and animal products as nutraceutical alternatives and feed additives in rabbit diets, separately or in combination, to act as natural growth promoters, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial agents, and immunostimulants in rabbit farms. From the results, some unconventional plant and animal products, such as spirulina, garden cress, milk whey, and bee venom, can be successfully used as dietary supplements and substitutes in rabbit farms to motivate rabbit growth and reproduction, as well as enhance immunity. These products are rich in minerals, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. These active substances benefit the animal’s digestive tract in different ways, including activating the digestive enzymes and maintaining microbial balance, promoting vitamin synthesis. They also improve rabbit production, reproduction, and health

Effect of Spirulina on Productive and Reproductive Traits as well as Hematological Parameters and the Meat Quality Characteristics in Local Omani Goats

Spirulina platensis (SP) is a type of blue-green algae that has been extensively used as a dietary supplement for livestock in recent decades. It is a rich source of protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential amino acids, making it a highly nutritious feed supplement for animals. Additionally, SP is a good source of pigments such as phycocyanin and chlorophyll, which can be used as natural colourants in animal feed. The use of SP in livestock feed has several benefits, including improved growth, health of animals and a reduced environmental impact of animal agriculture due to its advantages regarding to haematological and biochemical parameters which play a major role in improving biological functions. Supplementation of SP in the diet of animals such as fish, poultry, pigs, and ruminants has been shown to have positive effects on growth performance, body confirmation, and meat quality. Additionally, SP supplementation can also improve animal welfare by reducing stress and disease. Despite the many benefits of SP as a feed supplement, there has been limited research on its effects on Omani goats under Omani conditions. This thesis aims to fill this gap by examining the effect of SP supplementation on the growth performance, body confirmation, meat quality, fatty acid profile, reproductive performance, and blood haematological and biochemical parameters of Omani goat bucks. The aim of this research was to gain a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind the use of SP as a feed supplement for Omani goats and to provide valuable insights for future livestock management practices in Oman

Effects of Complementary use of Organic and Inorganic fertilizers on the growth and yield of Cucumber (Cucumu sativus. L.) on an ultisol

A field study was conducted in 2008 and 2009 early cropping seasons to assess the response of cucumber (Cucumus sativus L.) to complementary use of organic and inorganic fertilizers in Uyo agro-ecology. The fertilizer treatments were: NPK (15:15:15) at 100 and 200 kgha-1, poultry manure (PM) at 5 and 10 tha-1 , and complementary application of 100 kgha-1 of NPK + 5 tha-1 of PM, 100 kgha-1 of NPK + 10 tha-1 of PM, 200 kgha1 of NPK +5 tha-1 of PM ,200 kgha-1 of NPK +10 tha-1 of PM and control (no fertilizer). Results showed significant differences (P<0.05) in all the growth and yield parameters considered in both cropping seasons. The combined application of 200 kgha-1 of NPK and 10 tha-1 of PM performed better than sole application of either organic or inorganic fertilizer, with fresh fruit yield of 14.63 and 14.92 tha-1 in 2008 and 2009, respectively and exceeded other treatments by 1 -76% and 1-73% in 2009 and 2010, respectively. This indicates strongly the synergistic benefits of using both organic and inorganic fertilizers even at lower rates