EFFECT OF POMEGRANATE PEEL ADDITION TO THE DIET ENRICHED WITH LINSEED OIL ON PERFORMANCE, LIPID TRAITS IN THE MEAT, BLOOD LIPID PROFILE AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTY OF RABBITS UNDER SUMMER CONDITIONS

The present work aimed to investigate the growth performance, meat omega-3 (n-3) and omega 6 (n-6) fatty acids, immunological responses, lipid peroxide and the antioxidative status resulting from supplemented linseed oil diets of growing V-line rabbits with two levels of pomegranate peel (POM) during summer season from June to August.  Forty-eight growing V-line rabbits of both sexes, 7 weeks old, with initial weight of 982.75 ± 15.85 g were used in the present experiment. Rabbits were randomly distributed to four groups of 12 rabbits each. Each group was further sub-divided into 4 replicates of 3 rabbits. Group 1 fed a pelleted basal diet with standard components and served as control group, group 2 fed a pelleted diet with 2% linseed oil, group 3 fed a pelleted diet containing 2% linseed oil with 0.75 % POM, group 4 fed a pelleted diet containing 2% linseed oil with 1.5 % POM. The obtained results showed that the different treatments had insignificant effect on final body weight and daily body weight gain, however, significant (P≤0.05) decrease in feed intake and significant (P≤0.05) improvement in feed conversion were recorded in comparison with the control. Results for pre-slaughter weight, percentage of hot carcass and liver were insignificantly affected by different treatments in comparison with control. The different treatments showed significant decrease in the abdominal fat and the muscle total cholesterol in comparison with the control group. The n-3 fatty acids were significantly (P≤0.05) increased by feeding linseed oil, linseed oil plus pomegranate peel, while the n-6 fatty acids were decreased significantly by feeding linseed oil and linseed oil plus pomegranate peel in comparison with control. Hematological parameters and antibody titers against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) were insignificantly affected by different treatments. While, specific IgG was significantly improved in all experimental groups compared with control. Serum total lipids, low density lipoprotein and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased due to different experimental diets in comparison with the control group. Total cholesterol was decreased but triglycerides were increased in animals received linseed oil in their diet in comparison with control. High density lipoprotein concentration, HDL/LDL ratio and total antioxidant capacity were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased by different experimental treatments as compared with the control group, with one exception that TAC was insignificantly increased than in control by receiving linseed oil in the diet. It is concluded that dietary supplementation of linseed oil plus POM in growing rabbit’s diets had a beneficial effect on the composition of the meat lipid fraction by increasing the concentration of n-3 fatty acids and improving the feed conversion, blood serum lipid profile and antioxidant status.