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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dried hempseed cake (by-product of oil production) supplementation (5 % − EG1 and 10 % − EG2) to rabbit feed mixture on livestock performances, quality of meat, digestibility of nutrients and animal health status. The chemical composition of the Longissimus thoracis and lumborum muscle including the content of fatty acids and amino acids, and the biochemical parameters in caecum and blood of growing rabbits were investigated. No significant differences among the experimental groups in feed intake, body weight and carcass parameters were found. The digestibility trial was performed using the balance method. Feed mixtures differed in digestible energy content i.e., crude protein, crude fibre and fat. The resulting digestibility coefficients for protein fell within the range of 66.72 − 74.18 %, fat digestibility was in the interval from 88.73 to 89.34 % and crude fibre digestibility was in the range from 27.56 to 34.59 %. Fatty acid profile in intramuscular lipids represents the highest content of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA; 47.72 − 48.51 %), followed by the content of saturated acids (SFA; 33.75 − 33.87 %) and a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; 11.23 − 12.08 %). Hempseed oil cake could be included in rabbits' diet with beneficial effect on carcass quality and can enhance the nutritional quality of rabbit meat with the focus on essential amino acids. The tested blood serum parameters were within the range of the physiological reference values with no statistical differences between experimental groups, except for glucose and cholesterol content. The data on volatile fatty acids (VFA) show that most intensive process was in the caecum of rabbits in the experimental groups EG1 and EG2. All obtained data let us to recommend the inclusion of hempseed cake up to 10 % in rabbit diet without any negative effect on animal welfare, livestock performance and quality of meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legumes are the most important crops within sustainable agriculture. In animal nutrition they represent an important source of proteins. The aim of this study was to focus legumes and legume-cereal mixtures as a suitable source of protein in ruminants' nutrition. The influence of climatic conditions on the nutritional value of legumes and legume-cereal mixtures in two years of growing were compared. Quality of feed protein was studied according to the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) chemical fractionation method. The highest value of fraction A was determined in 2015 in a monoculture - as high as 39.9 % in peas with leafs, in 2017 it was highest in the mixture of peas with leafs and wheat (40.7 %). During the second harvest of 2015, the amount of soluble crude protein (A) decreased in the monoculture of leafy peas by 11 % down to 28.6 %. Important for feed quality evaluation are the values of fractions B2 and B3. These are proteins that are slowly soluble in the rumen, which increases their by-pass into the intestine as well as their digestibility. Fraction B2 content exceeded 40 % in all samples from 2015. The highest fraction B2 content 52.6 % was determined in a mixture of faba bean and oats in the first harvest. The lowest value was determined in 2017 in peas with leafs-wheat mixture in both harvests (30.6 % and 35.6 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring intestinal digestion of protein in vivo is difficult, expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, alternative methods have been developed. The objective of this study was to measure and compare intestinal digestibility using tree methods: mobile bag, in vitro and in vivo. To obtain the ruminal undegradable protein (RUP) the samples were ruminally incubated in sacco for 16 h in four dry cows with ruminal cannulas. Intestinal digestibility of undegraded crude protein was determined by mobile bag method - four cannulated dry cows with T-cannula in proximal duodenum, in vitro method - enzymatic two-steps method, and in vivo method - rats of the Wistar breed were used. Cereals (wheat, barley, oats and rye), maize, rapeseed meal, soybean meal and sunflower meal were used for this purpose. The highest loses of N after 16 hours of incubation in the rumen were determined in wheat (93.5%), rye (90.2%) and barley (89.3%). The lowest loses were observed in maize (64.6%). Intestinal digestibility of undegraded residues determined by different methods increased while ruminal degradation decreased. More than 85% of soybean meal crude protein from the residual amount of undegraded N was digested. The mobile bag method yielded the highest values of intestinal digestibility. The smallest differences between the compared methods (6.5%) were calculated for wheat. The largest differences (36.1%) were calculated for maize. From all samples, the soybean meal was the most digestible for all used methods (in vivo - 85.6%, in vitro - 85.8%, mobile bag 97.6 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bacteriocins represent substances of proteinaceous character with antimicrobial spectrum. This in vivo study was designed to reveal whether antimicrobial effect of Enterocin M (produced by non-rabbit origin strain Enteroccocus faecium AL41-CCM8558), in combination with Durancin ED26E/7 substances (produced by non-rabbit origin strain Enteroccocus durans ED26E/7) is able to influence the meat quality of rabbits. A total of 80 post-weaned rabbits, meat line P91 and M91 (aged 35 days, both sexes), were randomly divided into 4 groups (20 animals in each group). Control group without enterocin administration and experimental groups: EG 2 received 50μl of Enterocin M, EG 3 with 50μl Durancin and EG 4 with combination both of substances (50μl of Enterocin M + 50 μl of Durancin /animal/day) water administration for 21 days. Four animals (at the age 21 and 42 days) from each group were slaughtered No clinically noticeable changes in the average body weight of experimental animals were observed. A positive influence of Enterocin M and Durancin was noted on animal health. Enterocin M and Durancin substances did not negatively influenced growth performance and meat quality of selected carcass characteristics and meat quality of broiler rabbits, in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]