Role of Moringa, Thyme and Licorice Leave Extracts on Productive Performance of Growing Rabbits

The effects of including moringa, thyme, licorice and their mixture leave extracts as phytogenic supplements for growing rabbits on productive performance, nutrients digestibility, blood parameters and carcass characteristics. A total of seventy weaned Moshtoher rabbits, at 25-30 days age and 550 ± 50 g initial live weight were used in growth trial lasted for 75 days. Rabbits were divided into five treatments of 14 animals each.  The first group was fed on a basal diet without any supplementation as a control diet (G1). Other groups were supplemented with 100 mg moringa leaves extract/ kg diet (G2), 100 mg thyme leaves extract/ kg diet (G3), 100 mg licorice leaves extract/ kg diet (G4) and 100 mg mixtures from (1:1:1) moringa, thyme and licorice leaves/ kg diet (G5). Results indicated that rabbits in G2 and G5 had a remarkable (p≤0.05) enhancing effect on final weight and on body weight gain. Moreover rabbits in G2 recorded the highest digestibility coefficients (P<0.05) yielding the highest value, followed by G5 ,  then G3 and finally G4 compared to control group (G1) which showed the lowest values of  the digestibility coefficients .The addition of supplements significantly (P<0.05) improved TDN and DCP. Dietary supplements significantly (P<0.05) raised some carcass characteristics. Adding supplements to growing rabbit diets boosted significantly meat CP content (P<0.05), while it decreased moisture and EE levels. Dietary supplement significantly reduced AST and ALT and increased TP, globulin, albumin, immunoglobulin G (IgG), and M (IgM) levels in the blood serum and decreased (P<.05) blood malondialdehyde, creatinine and urea. These results suggest that rabbits fed diets enriched with moringa, thyme, licorice leave extracts and their mixture at 100 mg/kg diet improved growth rate, carcass characteristics, and antioxidant status compared to the control.