PROTEINS AND FATS IN THE SERUM OF RABBITS FED DIFFERENT QUANTITIES OF DRIED OLIVE CAKE

The subject of this research is the nutritive effect that different quantities (10 and 20%) of dried olive cake had on total proteins and the proportion of individual proteins, on triacylglycerols, on total cholesterol, HDL and glucose in the serum of fattened rabbits following a 56-day experiment. The experiment involved 60 rabbits, divided into three groups: a control group (C) and two test groups (E 1 and E 2 ), each comprising 10 males and 10 females. Throughout the experiment, rabbits in group C received no olive cake in their feed; group E 1 rabbits were fed a feed mixture containing 10% of dried olive cake; group E 2 rabbits received a feed mixture containing 20% of dried olive cake. After the 56th day of the experiment, blood samples were obtained by cardiac puncture, and specific haematological variables, total proteins and their fractions, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and glucose were established in the serum. The results obtained show no significant differences in the concentration of total proteins, albumin, alpha 1 , alpha 2 , beta and gamma globulin in the serum of rabbits in control group and in the two test groups. Similarly, no significant differences were found in the concentration of serum triacylglycerols and glucose between group C rabbits and the two test groups. However, group E 1 rabbits did show a significantly lower concentration of cholesterol compared with those in group E 2 ; group E 1 rabbits also had a significantly (P<0.01) lower concentration of HDL in their serum than those in group E 2 . Results of the study show that 10% and 20% of dried olive cake had neither detrimental effect on health, nor did they cause significant changes in the level of proteins, lipids and glucose in the serum of rabbits after a 56-day feeding period. Addition of dried olive cake into rabbit diets may therefore be recommended. Hyla rabbits, feeding, olive cake, serum, proteins, lipids and glucose Cultivation of olives has a long-standing tradition in many countries throughout the world, but it is particularly well developed in the Mediterranean area. Olive cake is the industrial by-product left following the extraction of oil from olives. The resulting considerable quantities of olive cake can be used as food for certain categories of livestock. Alternatively, they are simply deposited in the area around oil extraction plants where, due to their long period of degradation, they pollute the environment for prolonged periods of time. For certain types of animals (ruminants, rabbits, etc.) olive cake can be used as feed in somewhat greater quantities, while for chickens and pigs olive cake should form only a smaller portion of their daily diet. Depending on the technological procedure used in the extraction of olive oil, the resulting olive cake contains 3.5 -8.5% of oil, 2.5 -6.0% of raw proteins and other nutrient