Effects of Moringa oleifera extracts and monensin on performance of growing rabbits

This study was designed to assess the effects of Moringa oleifera (moringa) leaf ethanolic extract (MLEE), moringa root ethanolic extract (MREE), and ionophore antibiotic monensin on growth performance, hematological variables, blood plasma metabolites and antioxidant indicators, digestibility, and cecal fermentation of growing rabbits. A total of 96 growing rabbits weaned at 35 d of age were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 12 male and 12 female rabbits/treatment. The first treatment was the control (no additives), the second treatment was a basal diet containing 10 mg monensin/kg dry matter (DM), and the third and fourth treatments were MLEE and MREE, respectively, at concentration of 250 mg/L drinking water. From 35 to 77 d of age, the rabbits were housed in groups (8 cages/treatment, 3 rabbits/cage), and growth performance variables including body weight (BW), feed consumption, BW gain, and feed conversion ratio were recorded. From 78 to 93 d of age, after the end of the growth performance trial, the rabbits were housed individually. At 87 d of age, blood samples were collected from 10 rabbits (5 males and 5 females) that were selected randomly to determine hematological variables and blood plasma metabolites and antioxidant indicators. From 87 to 93 d of age, 8 male rabbits/treatment were selected randomly to determine digestibility, N balance, and cecal fermentation activity. The major chemical compounds in MLEE were α-linolenic acid, glycerine, ascorbic acid, and diethyl phthalate, whereas ascorbic acid, S-phenylmercapturic acid, 2-myristynoyl pantetheine, and 8,11,14-docosatrienoic acid, methyl ester were major compounds in MREE. Both the MLEE and MREE treatments improved (P