Effect of dietary l-carnitine on grwoth performance, and immune responce in growing newzealand rabbits

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of three dietary L-carnitine inclusion levels on growth performance, serum components and immune response in growing New Zealand rabbits. Twenty, 4-weeks-old growing Newzealand rabbits were assigned to four groups, each with five replicates.

Four experimental diets were formulated by adding four levels of supplemental L-carnitine (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg / kg diet) to a basal diet and used in pellets form from 4 up to 8 weeks of age.

Daily Live body weight were recorded during the experimental period and body weight change of growing rabbits every week during the growing period from 4 to 8 weeks of age.

When the rabbits were 6 weeks age two rabbits from each treatment were immunized intravenously with 1 ml of 25 % sheep red blood cells (SRBC), a thymus-dependent antigen suspension.

After 7 days, all immunized rabbits were bled and the corresponding plasma samples were collected to determine the primary antibody response.

At the end of the 8th week of age ; rabbits were slaughtered to take blood samples for biochemical and hematological studies.

The obtained results revealed that, the growth performance was significantly higher in all treated groups than the control.

Moreover, there was a significant increase in both total protein and globulin while the albumin globulin ratio was decreased in all treated groups specially in G4 when compared with the control.

In conclusion, L-carnitine supplementation induces an improvement in growth performance and immune response of the animals.