Veterinary Archives, Vol. 80 No. 3, 2010.
Original scientific paper
Growth performance, haematology and serum biochemistry of female rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) fed dietary fumonisin
Francis A. Gbore
; School of Biological Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia; Department of Environmental Biology and Fisheries, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria
Olatunbosun Akele
; Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Nigeria
Abstract
To account for the potential effects of dietary mycotoxin on growth performance, haematological and serum biochemical constituents of rabbit, 24 mature female rabbits were assigned to three diets containing 0, 5.0 and 10.0 mg fumonisin/kg constituting the control diet, and diets 1 and 2, respectively. The animals were initially maintained on these diets for 2 weeks before they were mated and subsequently for 4 weeks after mating. Dietary fumonisin significantly (P<0.05) reduced the daily dry matter intake (DMI) and final live weight. The daily DMI of the rabbits fed diets 1 and 2 were 6.32 and 50.13% respectively lower than the daily DMI of rabbits fed the control diet. The erythrocyte counts, packed cell volume and haemoglobin values significantly (P<0.05) decreased, while the leukocyte values of the pregnant rabbits increased with the increase in the dietary fumonisin concentrations. Pregnant does fed the control diet had significantly (P<0.05) higher serum total protein concentrations than those fed diets 1 and 2. The serum enzymes significantly (P<0.05) increased in rabbits fed diets 1 and 2. Diet containing 5 mg fumonisin/kg may reduce growth performance and induce negative responses in the haematology and serum biochemistry of pregnant does, which may affect the proper development of foetuses.
Keywords
Fusarium verticillioides; fumonisin; haematology; pregnant rabbit; serum biochemistry
Hrčak ID:
58458
URI
Publication date:
16.6.2010.
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