Pałka Sylwia Ewa, Drąg-Kozak Ewa, Migdał Łukasz, Kmiecik Michał
Department of Genetics, Animal Breeding and Ethology, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 24/28, 30-059 Krakow, Poland.
Department of Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology, and Fisheries, University of Agriculture in Krakow, St. Spiczakowa 6, 30-199 Krakow, Poland.
Animals (Basel). 2022 Mar 24;12(7):827. doi: 10.3390/ani12070827.
The literature on herbal additives for rabbit feed offers little information on the use of nettle and fenugreek. Both of these herbs are valuable sources of vitamins and minerals. These herbs affect the growth, health, and meat quality of rabbits. They regulate the digestive system, stimulate the appetite, have a positive effect on the functioning of the immune system, and exhibit antibacterial activity. The purpose of the present study was to determine the effect of nettle (Urtica dioica L.) leaves or fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) seeds in the feed on the content of selected heavy metals in the liver and meat of the rabbit. The rabbits were divided into three groups: group C (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed ad libitum with a complete feed, N group (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed a complete mixture with 1% added nettle, and group F (n = 20; 10♂ and 10♀) was fed with a complete mixture with 1% added fenugreek. The experiment lasted 7 weeks (from the 35th to the 84th day of the rabbits’ lives). All the rabbits were slaughtered on the 84th day of age, with a body weight of about 2.6 kg. The concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, Mn, Fe, Pb, Cd) was determined by the atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The additives to the feed significantly affected the content of elements in both the liver and the meat of rabbits (p < 0.05). The highest level of the heavy metals, regardless of the used diet, was recorded in the liver (p < 0.05). The meat (m. longissimus lumborum) and the liver of rabbits fed with herbal fodder contained less tested metals than in animals fed with fodder without additives (p < 0.05). Moreover, more essential metals were found in the liver of rabbits fed with fenugreek than rabbits fed with nettle. In the meat and liver of rabbits, the permissible content of cadmium and lead was not exceeded. Additionally, male livers had a significantly higher content of copper and manganese compared to female livers (p < 0.05). It is important to study the content of heavy metals in the used animal herbal feed additives and their interaction with each other, as they affect the distribution of elements in tissues and organs.
关于兔饲料中草本添加剂的文献，几乎没有提供关于荨麻和胡芦巴使用的信息。这两种草药都是维生素和矿物质的宝贵来源。这些草药会影响兔子的生长、健康和肉质。它们调节消化系统，刺激食欲，对免疫系统的功能有积极影响，并具有抗菌活性。本研究的目的是确定饲料中荨麻（Urtica dioica L.）叶或胡芦巴（Trigonella foenum - graecum L.）种子对兔肝脏和肉中选定重金属含量的影响。将兔子分为三组：C组（n = 20；10♂和10♀）自由采食全价饲料，N组（n = 20；10♂和10♀）饲喂添加1%荨麻的全价混合料，F组（n = 20；10♂和10♀）饲喂添加1%胡芦巴的全价混合料。实验持续7周（从兔子出生第35天到第84天）。所有兔子在84日龄时屠宰，体重约2.6千克。通过原子吸收光谱法（AAS）测定重金属（锌、铜、镍、锰、铁、铅、镉）的浓度。饲料添加剂对兔子肝脏和肉中的元素含量有显著影响（p < 0.05）。无论采用何种日粮，肝脏中的重金属含量最高（p < 0.05）。与饲喂无添加剂饲料的动物相比，饲喂草本饲料的兔子的肉（腰大肌）和肝脏中检测到的金属含量更低（p < 0.05）。此外，饲喂胡芦巴的兔子肝脏中发现的必需金属比饲喂荨麻的兔子更多。在兔子的肉和肝脏中，镉和铅的允许含量未超标。此外，雄性肝脏中的铜和锰含量明显高于雌性肝脏（p < 0.05）。研究所用动物草本饲料添加剂中的重金属含量及其相互作用非常重要，因为它们会影响元素在组织和器官中的分布。
