Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effect of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaf extracts (AMOLE) on growth performance and carcass characteristics of rabbits. Methodology: A total number of 64 mixed sex growing APRI rabbits aged 5 weeks and weighing 661.8±8.08 g was assigned randomly into four treatment groups to evaluate the effect of aqueous Moringa oleifera leaves extract (AMOLE) added in water. The four experimental groups were as follows: The control group (G1) received basal diet and water without any supplementation, while groups 2, 3 and 4 received basal diet and water supplemented with 30 (G2), 60 (G3) and 90 (G4) mL AMOLE/L drinking water, respectively. The study was lasted for 8 weeks during the growing period, from weaning age (at 5 weeks) to marketing age (at 13 weeks). Results: The results revealed that Moringa leaves extract at its highest levels significantly (p<0.05) increased the final body weight, daily weight gain and improved feed conversion. The effect of Moringa leaves extract on carcass traits was so clear, where supplemented groups showed significant (p<0.05) increased the carcass percentage. Gastrointestinal tract and abdominal fat percentages were decreased (p<0.01 and p<0.05, respectively) by supplementing AMOLE in drinking water. Also, results showed that pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Clostridium sp.) decreased (p<0.001) by supplementing AMOLE in drinking water. The highest and pronounced increase of net revenue (16.8%) was observed for rabbits received 90 mL AMOLE/L (G4). Conclusion: Addition of AMOLE in drinking water for growing rabbits, enhanced the growth performance and improved the microbial ecology of the gastrointestinal tract with high profitability. From economic point of view 90 mL L–1 Moringa extract is recommended for growing APRI rabbits, which showed the best results.

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary turmeric or garlic extract on physiological responses, hematological parameters, antioxidants status, testicular functions, and health indices of heat-stressed rabbit males. Seventy bucks were distributed into seven experimental groups (ten/group). A commercial diet (CD) was fed to rabbit males in the control group, while males in G2, G3, and G4 were fed CD with turmeric at 30, 60, and 90 mg/kg, respectively. Males in G5, G6, and G7 were fed CD with garlic extract at 50, 75, and 100 mg/kg, respectively, for 8 weeks. The results showed that turmeric or garlic extract levels decreased ear temperature, respiration rate, germ cell apoptotic number, total cholesterol, triglycerides, malondialdehyde level, libido, and sperm of dead and abnormal tail (p < 0.05). The hemoglobin and red and white blood cells, platelets, total antioxidants capacity, mass motility, mitochondrial potential, normal, acrosome reacted, normality, and a total functional fraction of spermatozoa and relative of epididymal weight were increased (p < 0.05). The increased packed cell volume percentage and initial semen fructose were significant only when 100 mg per kg garlic extract was supplemented. Phytochemicals extract supplementation can be an effective dietary supplementation to eliminate heat stress and improve health, oxidative capacity, and testicular functions of rabbit males.

Objective: The potential of aqueous extract of Christ’s thorn jujube (Ziziphus spina-christi) leaves (SLAE) to reduce the negative impacts of heat stress on production performance and physiological traits was investigated in dual-purpose layers under subtropical farming.Methods: A total of 200, 25-week-old laying hens (Inshas strain) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments including SLAE at 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mL/kg, respectively. The average temperature-humidity index value was 26.69 during the experimental period. The SLAE contained saponin (0.045%), total flavonoid content of 17.9 mg of quercetin equivalent/ 100 g and overall antioxidant capacity concentration of 17.9 mg of ascorbic acid equivalent/100 g.Results: The maximum final body weight (BW), BW gain, egg weight, number, and mass occurred at the level of SLAE7.5 inclusion. The egg quality was significantly higher in SLAE groups than in control, and overall, SLAE7.5 had the most favorable influence at 28 and 32 weeks. Liver and kidney function, as well as lipids profile, improved significantly by SLAE inclusion; the lowest concentrations of these parameters were in SLAE7.5 hens. Treatment with SLAE7.5 increased total antioxidant capacity and endogenous antioxidant enzymes compared to control, whereas no effect on superoxide dismutase was noticed.Conclusion: The addition of SLAE at 7.5 mL/kg diet improved egg laying performance and quality, metabolic profiles, and antioxidant status during hyperthermia conditions.

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary lysozyme levels on the growth performance, hematological and blood biochemical parameters, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbial count in broiler chickens. Three-hundred 1 d old birds (Cobb-avian500) were used and divided into five groups (five replicates per group, 60 birds per replicate). Birds in the first group were fed a control diet, while birds in the second, third, fourth, and fifth groups were fed the control diet with 0.2 g lincomycin, 1 g commercial lysozyme, 25 mg chicken egg lysozyme, and 50 mg egg lysozyme per kg of diet, respectively. Results confirmed that, in comparison with the control diet, all supplements had greater impacts on final body weight and body weight gain, and only the egg lysozyme diet (50 mg kg⁻¹ diet) increased feed intake. Lincomycin, commercial lysozyme, and egg lysozyme (25 mg) improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Birds fed commercial lysozyme and egg lysozymes showed significantly increased hemoglobin and red blood cell counts. All supplements reduced white blood cells, heterophils, and heterophils / lymphocytes ratio and increased lymphocytes. All supplements significantly increased serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and glucose. The diet of egg lysozyme (50 mg kg⁻¹) significantly decreased alpha-globulin, alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, cholesterol, and urea levels and increased high-density lipoproteins. Diets with lincomycin, commercial lysozyme, and egg lysozyme significantly increased antioxidant capacity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA). The interferon-gamma (IFNγ) and interlukin-2 (IL-2) were significantly improved by lincomycin, commercial lysozyme and egg lysozyme diets, but interlukin-10 (IL-10) was significantly increased only by the egg lysozyme (50 mg kg⁻¹) diet. The total bacterial count, Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Proteus counts were significantly decreased. Dressing rate and breast weight percentage were significantly increased by the egg lysozyme (50 mg kg⁻¹) diet. Thigh weight percentage was increased only by the commercial lysozyme diet. In conclusion, chicken egg lysozyme (50 mg kg⁻¹), a promising alternative for antibiotics in broiler chickens' diet, can enhance growth performance, antioxidant status, immunity, and intestinal bacteria.

| The inclusion of phytochemicals in rabbit diets is a strategy that has been used to improve animal productivity by protecting against oxidative stress which in turn increasing the production yield. This study hypothesized that using Aloe vera (AV) leaves powder may provide protection against stress and enhance animal physiological responses. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary AV addition on growth traits, caecal ecosystem and some physiological and biochemical responses in growing rabbits. APRI rabbits (age = 6 weeks, n = 60) were split equally into four groups (n = 15 in each group). First group was fed a basal diet only (control group, G1), while the other three groups fed a basal diet along with 0.5 (G2), 1.0 (G3) and 2.0 g (G4) AV leaves powder/kg diet. The results revealed that, AV addition at its highest levels (G3 and G4) significantly (P≤0.05) increased the final body weight, daily weight gain and feed efficiency. The AV inclusion, especially in high dose “G4”, lead to significant (P≤0.05) reduction in bacteria count of E. coli and clostridium spp. and increased total bacterial count in caecal content. The caecal NH 3 concentration significantly (P≤0.05) decreased when the dietary AV level increased. Haematological, plasma biochemical and antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx and CAT) were significantly elevated (P≤0.05) by the highest dietary AV inclusion (G4). The addition of AV significantly enhanced immune- responses; lymphocyte percentage, IgG and IgM increased when growing rabbits were fed G4 compared to the control group. In conclusion, dietary addition of 1 or 2g AV may serve as an enhancer of growth and immune response in growing rabbits.

Weaning age is an important factor that affects the growth and health of weaned animals. Therefore, the current experiment was conducted to study genotype (G) and weaning age (WA) interaction (G×WA) effects on growth traits of the animals belonged to two lines of rabbits (APRI and V line) reared under Egyptian conditions. Multiparous doe rabbits were serviced to obtain 225 litters with 1800 young rabbits at weaning. The weaning ages ranged from 26 to 43 days where the young rabbits were weaned at different ages (≥28 days, WA1; 28 < Treatment ≥ 35 days, WA2; 35 < Treatment ≥ 40 day, WA3 and 40< Treatment, WA4). Body weight (BW) from 4 to 16 weeks of age and corresponding average daily gain (ADGt1-t2) were measured. The BW significantly increased in APRI rabbits, compared to those in V line at the different ages where at the end of the fattening period, the difference was 105 g per animal with higher ADG. Regarding the weaning age effects, positive effects were observed where the highest BW was observed at the fattening period. The ADG of rabbits weaned in late weaning was higher than in early weaning with significant differences. The observed results suggest the existence of relevant G×WA interaction for the investigated traits. Therefore, the weaning age of 29-35 days is recommended for young APRI rabbits while it is suggested to wean the V rabbits after 35 days. The study confirmed that early weaning is not preferable for the rabbit under Egyptian conditions and it is better to wean young rabbits at the minimum age of 30 days to achieve the best BW and growth rate.