EFFECT OF ZEOLITE (CLINOPTILOLITE) ON CHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF RABBIT MEAT

This work is aimed to evaluate the effect of natural zeolite on selected parameters of the rabbit's meat chemical composition. The rabbits of the Castorex breed (n=12) were divided into two groups: Control group C (n=6) without the addition of zeolite in feed and the experimental group Z (n=6) in which animals received zeolite daily in a peroral form in concentration 0.2 g/kg of body weight. Determination of the nutritional composition of rabbit meat and analysis of individual amino acids and fatty acids was performed by the Nicolet 6700 using FT-IR method (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) in the musculus Longissimus dorsi (MLD) and the musculus Vastus lateralis (MVL). The content of water in meat in group Z (73.630 ± 0.270 g * 100g-1) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) compared to group C (72.480 ± 0.530 g * 100g-1). Cysteine content in MLD in group Z (0.289 ± 0.007 g*100 g-1) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in group C (0.277 ± 0.011 g*100 g-1). Another noticeable difference in the statistical level p < 0.05 in favor of zeolite was found in linoleic acid content in MLD with mean values in group Z (0.324 ± 0.016 g*100g-1 FAME) against the group C (0.293 ± 0.009 g* 100 g-1 FAME). Therefore, the addition of zeolite to the rabbit feeding diet possibly increases the proportion of essential linoleic fatty acid and thereby may improve the nutritional value of the meat. Increased cysteine value can lead to a better degradation of heavy metals in meat

Dietary supplementation with algae and polyphenols in rabbit male: Effects on semen quality traits

In recent years, many studies have been focused on natural substances that can affect health of animals. A mix of different extracts was used as dietary supplement and it consists exclusively of natural products. Its main components are polyphenols from terrestrial and marine origins and plant polysaccharides. The effect of this supplement on reproduction has not been reviewed in the past what is a reason why its effect on the reproduction potential of male rabbits was tested. The aim of the present study is to determine effects of natural mix during 120-days long in vivo experiment on selected reproductive traits of male rabbits. Natural mix was supplemented in two different concentrations (T1 - 0.3% and T2 - 0.6%) with the basal ingredients of the conventional rabbit feed in pellet form. In our experiments, emphasis was placed on both the spermatozoa concentration and its motility parameters as well as on the properties of seminal plasma and antioxidant activity. The dietary supplementation with the natural extracts mix positively altered the quality traits of rabbit spermatozoa, but these changes were statistically not significant. In experimental T1 group a significant increase of GPx and FRAP content, both regarding the antioxidant markers profile in seminal plasma was recorded. We can conclude that the supplementation of 0.3% of natural mix did not significantly negatively affect any of the studied reproductive parameters of male rabbits, but some improvement in several antioxidant parameters was found