Effect of Adding Artichoke By-Product to Rabbit Diets on Growth Performance, Digestibility and Mitigation of Aflatoxin Toxicity

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of artichoke by-products and aflatoxin contamination on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood parameters and economic efficiency in growing rabbits. A total of 54 rabbits (5 weeks old; average initial body weight 832.35 g) were randomly assigned to nine treatments with two replicates per group and three rabbits per replicate. The treatments consisted of a basal diet (T1); basal diet with 12% (T2) or 14% (T3) artichoke by-products; low (75 µg/kg, T4) or high (150 µg/kg, T5) aflatoxin levels; and combinations of aflatoxin and artichoke by-products: T6 (low aflatoxin + 12% artichoke), T7 (low aflatoxin + 14% artichoke), T8 (high aflatoxin + 12% artichoke), and T9 (high aflatoxin + 14% artichoke). Rabbits fed 12% artichoke by-products (T2) showed the highest final body weight and weight gain, with significantly (P<0.05) higher values than the control and other groups. Feed intake was not significantly affected, but the best feed conversion ratio and performance index were observed in T2. Crude protein digestibility did not differ significantly (P>0.05), while other nutrient digestibility coefficients and feed conversion ratios showed significant (P<0.05) variations. Moreover, blood parameters were significantly (P<0.01) influenced by the dietary treatments. In conclusion, supplementing rabbit diets with artichoke by-products up to 14% improved performance, digestibility, and health status, with the 12% level showing the most favorable results. These findings suggest that artichoke by-products can be effectively and economically used in rabbit diets to enhance growth performance and reduce the harmful impact of aflatoxin contamination.