E-ISSN 2223-0343

Digestibility of Cereal Grains and Biochemical Assimilation of their Nutrients in Rabbits

GST Atchadé1*, VP Houndonougbo2, MSE Guédou1, AB Aboh3, SE Attakpa4, MF Houndonougbo2 and I Gbégo Tossa1

1Laboratoire des Recherches Zootechnique Vétérinaire et Halieutique, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (LRZVH/INRAB): 2Laboratoire de Recherche Avicole et de Zoo-Economie, Ecole des Sciences et Techniques de Production Animale, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques de l’Université d’Abomey-Calavi (FSA/UAC): 3Ecole de Gestion et d’Exploitation des Systèmes d’Elevage, Université Nationale d’Agriculture, Bénin (EGESE/UNA): 4Laboratoire de Physiopathologie Moléculaire et Toxicologie, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de l’Université d’Abomey-calavi (FAST/UAC)

Abstract

In order to evaluate the nutritional value of cereal grains (CG) used in rabbits feed, an in vivo digestibility and metabolism test were conducted over five days on forty adult rabbits with an average weight of 1921.65±5 g. An experimental fisher block with five treatments and eight replicates of rabbits was used. Rabbits were fed with each single CG: White Maize EVDT-W (WM), Yellow Maize SAMAZ-40 (YM), White Sorghum (WS), Red Sorghum (RS) and Millet (MI). The composition of CG was determined through chemical analyzes. The apparent digestibility of Dry Matter (DM), Organic Matter (OM), Ether Extract (EE), Crude Fiber (CF), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Ash were evaluated. Similarly, concentrations of Glucose, Total Proteins, Total Cholesterol and Triglycerides were determined in rabbits blood through biochemical analyzes. The results showed that rabbits similarly digested (P> 0.05) DM (85 to 93%), OM (86 to 93% DM), EE (97 to 99% DM), NDF (93 to 96% DM) and ADF (47 to 61% DM) of the five CG. However, apparent digestibility of CF and Ash of the five CG was low (36 to 57% DM and 25 to 64% DM, respectively). Millet grains appeared to be the grain that nutritive compound were more digestible by rabbits. Moreover, CG had no significant influence (P>0.05) on blood glucose, Total Protein, Total Cholesterol, and Triglycerides levels in rabbits. However, in all the dietary treated, blood total protein of rabbits increased significantly (P<0.05) after feeding with the cereal grains. The good digestive use of cereal grains nutrients indicates that all the tested grains are suitable in rabbit’s balanced feed.

Keywords: Cereal grains, Apparent Digestibility, Metabolism, Rabbit, Bénin.
 
To cite this article: Atchadé GST, VP Houndonougbo, MSE Guédou, AB Aboh, SE Attakpa, MF Houndonougbo, IG Tossa, 2020. Digestibility of cereal grains and biochemical assimilation of their nutrients in rabbits. Res. Opin. Anim. Vet. Sci., 10(1): 1-9.
 

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