Influence of Irradiated Moringa oleifera Leaf Meal as Dietary Supplement on some Serum Biochemical Parameters of Growing Rabbits

The present study evaluates the influence of gamma (γ) irradiation on anti-nutritional factors, total phenolic compounds of Moringa leaf meal (MLM) at different doses of 0, 10, 15, and 20 kGy, the effect of feeding rabbits on irradiated MLM, and their impacts on rabbit's performance, apparent digestibility, carcass traits, and certain blood constituents. 60 male rabbits (New Zealand White weaned, 35 days age) were assigned randomly to 4 groups (15 rabbits/group).The 1st group was kept on a basal diet supplemented with 10% MLM (non-irradiated) (control), the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th groups were kept on the control diet (10% MLM ) subjected to γ irradiation at 10, 15, and 20 kGy, respectively. The results showed diminishing in the anti-nutritional factors (phytic acid, tannins, trypsin inhibitors, and saponins. On the other hand, the total phenolic compound was increased. The gradual increases were correlated by linear regression with the escalating irradiation dose. The supplemented 10% MLM irradiated for up to 20 kGy in the diet of rabbits resulted in a significant enhancement of rabbits performance (body weight, gain weight, feed conversion, the digestibility of dry matter, crude fiber, crude protein, carcass body traits (carcass weight, dressing (%) and prime cuts (%)), and the enhancement was proportional to the escalating radiation dose. On the other hand, no significant change in feed consumed, water consumed, rectum temperature, respiration rate, ether extracts digestibility, biochemical parameters such as; GPT, GOT, total lipids, total cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, and blood urea, and hematological aspects (RBCs, WBCs and HB %) among the treatments. In general, γ- irradiation sounds to be a useful procedure to enhance nutrition quality of MLM without any negative effect on rabbits' biochemical constituents