Effect of diet supplementation with meal of Agave tequilana stems on hematological indicators and blood biochemistry of fattening rabbits

Abstract

To evaluate the effect of diet supplementation with Agave tequilana stem meal on indicators of blood health and blood biochemistry of fattening rabbits, 64 animals of New Zealand x California breed, with 35 days old and for 60 days, were located according to a completely randomized design, with eight repetitions and two animals per repetition. At the end of the experiment, six rabbits were taken per treatment for laboratory analysis. Treatments consisted of a basal diet and three diets with supplements of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 % of stem meal of A. tequilana. Supplements up to 1.5 % did not change the clinical blood indicators (P˃0.05) and all values were within the normal ranges for the category and
animal species under study. Also, the daily use of A. tequilana stem meal reduced proportionally (P <0.05) the prepandrial values of urea nitrogen, glucose, total lipids, triacylglycerides, cholesterol, very low density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, high lipoprotein density and atherogenic index. In addition, serum creatinine concentration decreased with the 0.5 and 1.5 % supplementation (P <0.05) compared to the basal diet and the 1.0 % treatment, although the latter treatments were different among them. This natural product based on A. tequilana stem meal, used
as a diet supplement during the productive life of fattening rabbits (95 days), indicated hypoglycemic and lipid-lowering properties, without affecting blood health indicators.
Keywords: Agave tequilana, blood biochemistry, health indicators, rabbit fattening