USE OF ENTEROCIN M SUBSTANCE APPLIED IN DRINKING WATER AND NATURAL ZEOLITE AS DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS FOR GROWING RABBITS.

A total number of 72 post-weaned rabbits (aged 35 days, meat line M91 a P91 hybrid rabbits), reared in an intensive breeding in the Slovak Republic, were used in the experiment. The rabbits were randomly divided into 3 similar groups, 24 animals in each group (control -EG1, experimental groups - EG2 and EG3) and kept in standard metal cages, two animals per cage. This study investigated the effects of different feeding on growth performance, chemical composition, fatty acid profile and content of essential amino acids of the Musculus longissimus thoracis and lumborum of growing rabbits. This in vivo study was designed to reveal whether the antimicrobial effect of Enterocin M (produced by non-rabbit origin strain Enteroccocus faecium AL41-CCM8558), is able to influence the meat quality of rabbits. Every day at the same time in the morning the rabbits in EG 2 received 50 µl dose of Ent M per animal per day, administered into their drinking water. The rabbits of experimental group (EG3) had commercial diet enriched with the supplement of 1% natural zeolite (a product of ZEOCEM Company, Bystré, Slovakia) and the drinking water did not contain any coccidiostatic drugs during the experiment. The experiment was lasted for 42 days. The fat of rabbits in the 2EG had a higher (P = 0.05) concentration of n-3 and n-6, MUFA, while the ratio of SFA in the control was lower (32.92%) than in 2EG and 3EG reared rabbits (34.61% vs. 34.71%). Feeding of natural substances to rabbits did not influence biochemical and zootechnical parameters and it had no negative effect on growth performance in rabbits. It had positive effect on health status and it reduced the number of Eimeria spp. Oocysts were not detected in rabbits' intestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]