Effect of Dietary Pumpkin Stem Waste on Haematological Indices, Meat and Serum Lipid Profiles of Rabbits

This study evaluated the effect of different supplementary dietary levels of pumpkin stem waste (PSW) on the haematological indices, meat and serum lipid profile of rabbits. Three experimental feed regime:D1 (control), basal feed+ 0% PSW; D2,basal feed + 5% PSW and D3, basal feed + 10% PSW were randomly assigned to the three treatment groups in a 3x2 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design experiment. The PSW percentage were offered on rabbit weight basis. Thirty six (18 males and 18 females) crossbred (California x New Zealand white) weaned rabbits aged 6 and 7 weeks were divided into three treatment groups of 12 rabbits each with 4 rabbits per replicate (2 females and 2 males) and randomly allotted to the three dietary treatments. At the end of 12 weeks feeding trial( prior to slaughtering), blood samples were collected from 6 rabbits (3 males and 3 females) per treatment totalling 18 rabbits and used to determine the serum lipid profile and haematological blood indices. Similarly, breast meat sample was used to determined lipid profile. Results obtained showed that while red blood cell (RBC),haemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV),Mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration MCHC increased (P<0.05) with increasing dietary PSW. White blood cell (WBC) and MCHC however showed no significant difference (P>0.05) among the treatments groups. Lipid profile of both serum and meat indicated that HDL increased significantly (P<0.05) with increase in PSW while total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG) and very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) decreased significantly (P<0.05). Diet by sex interaction showed that male rabbits recorded significantly different (P<0.05) values from their female counterparts in all the blood and meat lipid parameters assessed. These results suggest that pumpkin stem waste is hypolipidaemic therefore could lower rabbits’ meat cholesterol and improve blood constituents

Comparative evaluation of carcass quality and sensory characteristics of meat of rabbits fed Vernonia amygdalina and Mucuna pruriens

Reduction of total fat and cholesterol contents as well as alteration of lipid profile to a more unsaturated kind are some methods for improving quality of meat. One of the safest strategies for achieving this is through dietary inclusion of natural occuring herbs. Therefore, a study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Vernonia amygdalina meal (VALM) and Mucuna pruriens meal (MPM) on performance, carcass and sensory quality of rabbits. Seventy-two weaned rabbits were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments, each replicated 3 times with 8 rabbits per replicate. Diet 1 was the control, diets 2 and 3 comprised of 15% each of VALM and MPM respectively each representing a treatment. At the end of 12th week, carcass evaluation, meat lipid profile and sensory evaluation were carried out. Results showed significant (P<0.05) increase in feed intake and daily weight gain for rabbits fed diets 2 and 3 as well as lower feed conversion ratio for rabbits fed diet 3 compared to the control. Rabbits on diet 3 indicated significan (P<0.05) increase in pre-slaughter weight, dressed weight as well as prime cuts (forelegs, thoracic cage, loin and hind legs). Meat lipid profile showed significant (P<0.05) reduction in total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL, and VLDL while HDL increased for T3 and T2. Meat protein values showed significant (P<0.05) increase in T3 followed by T2 while abdominal fat decreased as against the control. Sensory evaluation showed significant (P<0.05) decline in tenderness from T3 to T2 without adverse effect on overall acceptability. Inclusion of the VALM and MPM in rabbit diets therefore improved performance, carcass quality and sensory characteristics

Agricultural productivity, malnutrition and human health in sub-Saharan Africa: A review

This review examined the current state of agricultural productivity, food security, the prevalence of malnutrition and health status in Sub-Saharan Africa. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of most countries in this region, and this sector is characterized by gross underperformance. This is because majority of farmers are uneducated, illiterate, cultivate low yielding crops, keep animals with low genetic merit, employ crude implements and primitive management systems, and are shackled by retrogressive customary practices. Records showed that more than 50% of the population lived on less than a half of the minimum animal protein requirement, and estimates indicated that by the year 2005, 48.0, 34.9 and 33.9% of all pre-school children were stunted in East Africa, West Africa, and the whole of Africa, respectively. It is strongly suggested that henceforth, personnel from foreign donors, the private sector and non-governmental organizations should be directly involved in procurement and distribution of improved agricultural inputs. Keywords: Malnutrition, Sub-Saharan Africa, agriculture, healthIJOTAFS Vol. 1 (1) 2007: pp. 1-

The effect of sex on the meat quality charachteristics of large white pigs

The total of 20 Large White (LW) pigs were used to study the effect of sex on the meat quality characteristics of the breed. All the animals were reared in similar conditions and slaughtered at 34 weeks of age. Reports indicate that males were heavier than female (34.5 kg versus 29.9 kg; p0.05). Although, sex related differences in tenderness, juiciness and flavor were not significant (p>0.05, significant differences (p Animal Production Research Advances Vol. 2 (4) 2006: pp. 258-26

The Effect of Cinnamon Extract on Spermatogenesis and

Mineral elements are important nutrients in animal diets because they participate in metabolic, enzymatic and biochemical reactions needed for sustenance, feed efficiency, growth and development of animals. According to UnderGenerally, only a fraction of the mineral ingested by an animal is effectively absorbed, while most are bound to other components such as fibre and then excreted. In this study, faecal mineral composition differentials were used as indicators of mineral uptake by pullets supplemented varying levels of plantain ash in their daily rations for nine weeks. Plantain stalk and root base samples were collected, sun dried and ashed to produce plantain stalk ash (PSA) and root base ash (PRA), respectively. Ninety six (96) day old Isa Brown pullets were reared to 15 weeks of age and thereafter divided into 2 major groups of 48 birds each. Each group was divided into 4 subgroups of 12 birds each and each subgroup divided into three replicates giving four birds per replicate in a completely randomized design. The PSA and PRA were fed to the pullets as mineral supplements to commercial grower from the 15 th to 18 th week (4 wk) and layer mashes from the 19 th to 24 th week (6 wk) at the rate 0, 1, 2 and 3 g per kg body weight so that one group received PSA and the other PRA. In each case, the zero supplementation served as control. At the 9 th week of feeding, faecal samples were collected from the groups, dried in the sun and analyzed for their mineral compositions by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Among the macro minerals, both PSA and PRA supplementation resulted in reductions in the faecal concentrations of K and Mg, with increasing supplementation level, resulting in further reduction of faecal content of these minerals. Mg showed highly significant (P<0.05, P<0.01) regression effects for PSA and PRA, respectively. Reductions in faecal Ni and Fe concentrations were high (47.62 and 79.19%) across 1 g/kg body weight (BW) PSA and PRA supplementations, while it was 83.33% for Mn at the same 1 g/kg BW PRA supplementation. Ni (PSA) and Cr (PSA and PRA) values were significant (P<0.10) for regression effects, implying that the faecal values of these minerals could be predicted from any given quantity of plantain ash using the regression equations. PRA supplementations resulted in increasing faecal content of the two heavy metals, that is, lead and cadmium, indicating selective poor intestinal absorption of these. Plantain ash could serve as potential sources of absorbable mineral supplements and also could improve mineral uptake from commercial diets offered to pullets