INFLUENCE OF BIOLOGICALLY TREATED MORINGA OLEIFERA LEAVES MEAL BY LACTOBACILLUS ACIDOPHILUS ON PRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE AND PHYSIOLOGICAL STATUS OF GROWING RABBITS

The current study was conducted to shed more light on the beneficial effects of moringa leaves meal biologically treated with L. acidophilus (TMLM) as a promising feedstuff on growth performance, carcass traits, biochemical characteristics and digestibility coefficients of growing rabbits under different levels. This study was carried out at two stages; the first one was growth performance investigation that include eighty 5-weeks-old male rabbits were divided into four equal experimental groups, 20 rabbits of each in a complete random design and were allocated individually in double galvanized wire cages; the experimental groups were control 0% TMLM, 20% TMLM, 30%TMLM and 40% TMLM. The second was a digestibility study that investigates the effect of TMLM levels on digestibility coefficients of nutrients. The results showed that, rabbits fed diet containing 40 % treated moringa leaves meal (TMLM) had significantly (P≤ 0.05) the highest final body weight and daily weight gain being 2390 g and 31.13 g/day, respectively. In the same trend, rabbits fed 40 % TMLM had significantly (P≤ 0.05) the best feed conversion ratio (3.3), additionally; the carcass and dressing percentage were improved significantly (P≤ 0.05 or 0.01) in rabbits fed 40% MLM. The same trend was observed with nutrients digestibility and nutritive value, in comparing with control. Also, blood metabolites were significantly improved specially triglycerides and cholesterol. All of these results suggest that TMLM can be included in growing rabbit diets up to 40 % without any adverse effect on performance and physiological status of growing rabbits.