Investigation of the using Myrtle and Conocarpus Plants on Digestibility, Antioxidant Capacity, Blood Parameters and Microbial Population of Gastrointestinal Tract of Rabbit

The domestic rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus from the Leporidae family is a herbivorous mammal and their usual diet is plant sources. Rabbits can tolerate temperatures between 4 and 27 degrees; Of course, the recommended average temperature for them is between 16 and 22 degrees. The average pregnancy period for rabbits is 28 to 31 days. Different forages in rabbit diets affect its optimal growth performance. Rabbits need energy, fiber and protein in their diet. It is recommended to use fodder plants as well as tropical plants to feed rabbits, currently dry fodder such as alfalfa constitutes 40 to 80% of the rabbit's diet. Corn, wheat, barley, and alfalfa are plants with high energy levels, and therefore, the consumption of these plants in diets is very high. Due to the high price of alfalfa and barley, the cost of preparing feed increases, as a result of which the economic efficiency decreases. Tropical plants have a significant amount of protein, fat, minerals and carbohydrates that can affect growth and production. Among the tropical plants are Conocarpus erectus and myrtle. Cenocarpus erectus is a common ornamental plant in tropical and semi-tropical regions, which usually has a height of 1.5 to 4 meters. This plant contains bioactive compounds such as alkaloids, saponin, tannin, phenolic compounds, resin, terpenes, glycosides and antibacterial activity. Myrtle plant is a small shrub with evergreen leaves. Among the effective substances found in the plant, we can mention phenolic acids such as gallic acid, vanillic acid and ferulic acid, tannins, catechin and quercetin. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was the effect of the use of myrtle and conocarpus plants in the diet of first-generation rabbits on digestibility, antioxidant capacity, blood parameters and microbial population of the digestive tract.

In this project, 12 breeding rabbits of New Zealand breed (10 females and 2 males) were tested, for this purpose, after 28 days of rabbit pregnancy period and 30 days of lactation period of born rabbits, the considered treatments were applied to the born rabbits (each treatment consisted of five repetitions). The treatments include: 1 control treatment, 2 treatments receiving 25% of myrtle plant and 3 treatments receiving 25% of conocarpus plant in the form of completely randomized design. The experiment was conducted on born rabbits for 30 days, and the average weight of the tested rabbits was 250 grams. At the end of the experiment, the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, insoluble fibers in neutral detergent, insoluble fibers in acidic and organic detergents, antioxidant activity of meat during storage in the refrigerator and in the freezer, microbial population of the digestive tract (population of Lactobacillus, E. coli and coliform bacteria) ) and blood parameters including cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase concentrations were measured.

The effect of the use of myrtle and conocarpus on the digestibility of tested rabbits, the test results showed that Myrtle and conocarpus plants result in decreasing of the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber (P<0.05). he results of the treatments on the microbial population showed that the populations of Lactobacillus, E. coli and coliforms in the cecum of rabbits were placed on Mord and Cenocarpus treatments (p > 0.05). The effect of myrtle and conocarpus plant on the antioxidant level of meat during storage in the refrigerator showed that the meat of rabbits fed with myrtle plant had a lower concentration of malondialdehyde and more antioxidant properties than the meat of rabbits fed with conocarpus plant (p< 0.05). The results of the experiment on the effect of treatments on blood parameters showed that the concentration of cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and glucose in the treatment using myrtle leaves and the treatment using conocarpus plant were significantly higher than the control treatment. decreased (p<0.05), but regarding the effect of treatments on liver enzymes, the test results showed that there was no significant difference in the concentration of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase between the treatments using myrtle and conocarpus compared to the control treatment (p> 0/05).

The results of the experiment showed that using myrtle plant and conocarpus plant as a substitute for part of alfalfa in the diet of newborn rabbits had an effect on digestibility, malondialdehyde concentration and blood parameters, and according to the positive effects of mord plant and conocarpus plant on the antioxidant concentration of rabbit meat. Whether during storage in the refrigerator or during the storage of rabbit meat in the freezer and blood biochemical parameters, and also considering the cheapness and availability of these plants in some areas, especially in Khuzestan, it can be concluded that the use of 25% of Sometimes myrtle and conocarpus have a positive effect as an effective antioxidant and a herbal supplement in the diet.