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. 2019 Jul 7;9(7):426.
doi: 10.3390/ani9070426.

The Potential Role of Citrus limon Powder as a Natural Feed Supplement to Boost the Productive Performance, Antioxidant Status, and Blood Biochemistry of Growing Rabbits

Hamada A M Elwan  1 , Dawood Hosni Dawood  2 , Sally Mohamed Abd El-Aziz El-Shafei  3 , Atef Abd El-Mohsen Abd El-Rahman  3 , Shaker A Abdel-Latif  1 , Mohamed Mohany  4 , Faleh Alqahtani  5 , Saeed Alqahtani  5 , Salim S Al-Rejaie  5
Affiliations

The Potential Role of Citrus limon Powder as a Natural Feed Supplement to Boost the Productive Performance, Antioxidant Status, and Blood Biochemistry of Growing Rabbits

Hamada A M Elwan et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

The current study examined the influence of Citrus limon (dry lemon) on the hemato-biochemical profiles, and antioxidant indices of growing rabbits. Forty-eight growing New Zealand White rabbits (age, eight weeks; weight, 1543.33 ± 25 g) were allocated into three groups (16 animals each), the first group was (control) fed a basal diet, whereas the second and third groups were supplemented with dried lemon, 1% or 2% DLP, respectively. A GC-MS analysis of more than 27 active constituents was performed. Feed conversion efficiency was (p < 0.05) better with diets containing 1% or 2% dry lemon, compared to the control group. Hematological indexes were increased significantly with the addition of DLP compared to those in the control group. Adding 1% or 2% dry lemon to rabbit diet increased (p < 0.05) enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities (TAC, SOD, GSH, GST, and CAT) in serum and liver tissues. Taken together, these data reveal the advantages and antioxidant effects of dry lemon supplementation for growing rabbits once supplemented at a maximum of 2% in their daily diet.

Keywords: Citrus limon; GC-MS analysis; oxidative biomarkers; rabbits.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract of dry lemon powder.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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