EFFECTS OF SELENIUM AND ZINC SUPPLEMENTATION ON THE GROWTH, BLOOD PARAMETERS, AND CARCASS TRAITS OF GROWING RABBITS RAISED UNDER SUMMER EGYPTIAN CONDITIONS

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of dietary zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) supplementation on the growth, blood parameters, antioxidant levels, immune response, and carcass traits of rabbits under summer heat stress in Egypt. Thirty male New Zealand White rabbits, aged 35 days with an average weight of 637.96 ± 15.70 g, were divided into three groups: a control group, a zinc-supplemented group (50.0 mg/kg diet), and a selenium-supplemented group (0.3 mg/kg diet). The resultsrevealed that Zn supplementation led to significant improvements in feed intake, body weight, and feed conversion ratio compared to Se supplementation and the control. Both Zn and Se supplementation increased serum total protein, albumin,superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase(GPx), lysozyme, and immunoglobulin A (IgA),while decreasing total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), urea, creatinine, and MDA. However, no significant differences were observed in all hematological parameters, blood contents of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), or immunoglobulin G (IgG), as well ascarcass traitsamong the experimental groups. In conclusion, supplementing rabbit diets with Se (0.3 mg/kg diet) or Zn(50 mg/kg diet) could ameliorate the adverse effects of heat stress on rabbit growth and health in hot climates of the summer season in Egypt.