Effect of pomegranate peel extract alternatives to oxytetracycline on growth peformance and physiological homeostasis in rabbits

Abstract EN

The current study focused on evaluation of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and the oxytetracycline as antioxidant and antiapoptotic potentialities on New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) performance, physiological homeostasis, hemato-biochemical indices and stabilized DNA structure resembling in 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8OH2dG) level.

For this purpose, four groups (each one compromise of 6 animals) of weaned NZW rabbits aged four weeks were randomly divided as follows: The 1^st group preserved as normal control (C) treated with tap water; 2^nd group (OXY) treated with daily oral dose of Oxytetracycline 200 mg/kg BW/day; 3^rdgroup (PPE) treated with daily oral dose of 130 mg/kg BW/day of PPE; 4^th group OXY + PPE treated with daily oral dose of 100 mg/kg BW/day of OXY + 65 mg/kg BW/day of PPE.

The experiment lasted for 8 weeks.

Concerning growth parameters, results showed that treatment with PPE and its combination with OXY enhanced body weight and ameliorate the negative effect on liver and kidney function with minimal side effects.

In addition PPE elevate antioxidant parameters.

However, OXY decreases the growth parameters (live body weight and body weight gain), total protein, albumin, globulin and A/G ratio levels and induces markedly increases in AST, ALT, creatinine, cortisol, and liver 8OH2dG concentrations.

In conclusion, present study aimed to investigate the common side effects of oxytetracycline when compared with natural pomegranate peel extract and suggests that PPE and its combination with OXY at half dose of each ameliorate side effects of oxytetracycline, accelerate body weight and normalize physiological homeostasis.