Effect of dietary supplementation with chelated copper methionine on some chemical metabolites and ovarian activity of doe rabbit and their litter performance [electronic resource].

Includes reference.

The objective of this study was designed to detennine the effect of dietary chelated copper methionine supplementation on the serum copper and antioxidant concentrations, some immunological parameters, ovarian activity of 18 New Zealand white mature doe rabbits and the number and weight of their litters. Animals were divided into two equal groups (n=9), The first group was fed basal diet and kept as control, while the second group fed basal diet with addition of copper methionine (3 mg/kg) and kept as treated group. It was given orally two months before matting and until three weeks post breeding. Blood samples were taken 8 weeks after supplementation (first sample), 10 weeks after supplementation (second sample) during pregnancy (third sample), 10 days after parturition (fourth sample); 21days after parturition (fifth sample). Histological samples of the ovaries were collected from dams 10 and 21 days after parturition Chelated copper supplementation significantly increased serum copper concentration in the first, second and fifth samples compared to control. Serum total antioxidant concentrations were significantly increased in the first, second, and fourth samples compared with their controls, The serum concentration of lysozyme were significantly increased in the first, second and fifth samples; while serum nitric oxide concentrations did not significantly change between the control and treated group. Ovarian sections of copper methionine treated does, slaughtered 21 days post parturition, revealed significant increase in the number of dominant follicles (ovulatory and non ovulatory). The percentage of births/ number of corpora lutea was increased in treated group. The number of born litters was significantly unaffected by supplementation whereas weight of litters at birth was significantly increased in the treated group. Mortality rate of the litters at 21 days postpartum was significantly lower in the treated group compared with the control one.

Summary in Arabic.