<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary chitosan supplementation on the productive and reproductive performance of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Forty healthy weaned female rabbits were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (10 females per group) and fed <italic>ad libitum</italic> for six months. A basal diet without chitosan supplementation was used as a control. The other three experimental groups were fed a basal diet plus 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 g chitosan/kg diet. After eight weeks, three females from each group were sacrificed for morphological observation of ovarian tissues. The remaining animals were used for reproductive studies by a maximum of three parities. Morphological observation of ovaries demonstrated that females fed a diet containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan had increased ovarian diameter and elevated number of mature follicles compared with the control and the other experimental groups. Receptivity, conception rate, and kindling interval were significantly (P˂0.05) higher in females fed diets containing 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg chitosan compared to the other groups. Moreover, there was a trend toward a higher average milk yield throughout the lactating period in females fed a diet containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan (P=0.904). Diets containing up to 0.4 g/kg chitosan were positively correlated with increased receptivity rate and several parities. However, diets containing up to 0.4 g/kg chitosan were negatively correlated with decreased receptivity time, kindling interval, litter size at weaning, mortality rate at weaning, bunny weight at weaning, and milk yield. The present study’s findings indicate that diets containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan improved reproductive efficiency in female NZW rabbits.</p>
</abstract>

This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary chitosan supplementation on the productive and reproductive performance of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. Forty healthy weaned female rabbits were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (10 females per group) and fed ad libitum for six months. A basal diet without chitosan supplementation was used as a control. The other three experimental groups were fed a basal diet plus 0.2, 0.4, or 0.6 g chitosan/kg diet. After eight weeks, three females from each group were sacrificed for morphological observation of ovarian tissues. The remaining animals were used for reproductive studies by a maximum of three parities. Morphological observation of ovaries demonstrated that females fed a diet containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan had increased ovarian diameter and elevated number of mature follicles compared with the control and the other experimental groups. Receptivity, conception rate, and kindling interval were significantly (P˂0.05) higher in females fed diets containing 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg chitosan compared to the other groups. Moreover, there was a trend toward a higher average milk yield throughout the lactating period in females fed a diet containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan (P=0.904). Diets containing up to 0.4 g/kg chitosan were positively correlated with increased receptivity rate and several parities. However, diets containing up to 0.4 g/kg chitosan were negatively correlated with decreased receptivity time, kindling interval, litter size at weaning, mortality rate at weaning, bunny weight at weaning, and milk yield. The present study’s findings indicate that diets containing 0.2 g/kg chitosan improved reproductive efficiency in female NZW rabbits.

Influence of dietary chitosan supplementation on ovarian development and reproductive performance of New Zealand White rabbit does

Department of Biological Science, College of Science

Department of Biology, College of Science

Biological Sciences Department, College of Science & Arts

Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture

Poultry Department, Faculty of Agriculture

Annals of Animal Science

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary chitosan supplementation on the productive and reproductive performance of New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits....

Influence of dietary chitosan supplementation on ovarian development and reproductive performance of New Zealand White rabbit does

Published Online: Jul 26, 2023

Page range: 757 - 764

Received: Nov 02, 2022

Accepted: Jan 18, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2023-0014

Keywords
rabbit females, chitosan, ovaries, productive, reproductive, performance

© 2023 Mahmoud Kamal et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Influence of dietary chitosan supplementation on ovarian development and reproductive performance of New Zealand White rabbit does

Published Online: Jul 26, 2023

Page range: 757 - 764

Received: Nov 02, 2022

Accepted: Jan 18, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2023-0014

Keywordsrabbit females, chitosan, ovaries, productive, reproductive, performance

© 2023 Mahmoud Kamal et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Keywords
rabbit females, chitosan, ovaries, productive, reproductive, performance