Influence of dietary chitosan supplementation on growth indicators, nutrient digestibility, immunity, cecal microbiota, and intestinal morphology of growing male rabbits

Abstract The present study aimed to assess the influence of dietary chitosan on production performance, nutrient digestibility, slaughter traits, immune function, cecal microbiota, and intestinal histomorphometry growing rabbits for 56 days. In total, sixty New Zealand White male aged 35 days (574±7.26 g, mean ± SEM) were arbitrarily assigned four groups. experimental diets fortified with powder at 0, 250, 500, 1000 mg per kg diet, respectively. It was found that final weight, specific growth rate, daily weight gain, feed: gain enhanced linearly (P<0.05) increasing levels in diet. No significant differences all including hot carcass yield, internal organ weights, besides parts, head, fore, intermediate hind. Hematocrit percentage (linear, P = 0.024), serum lysozyme activity 0.004), immunoglobulin M, complement C3 concentrations (linearly, P<0.001) increased supplementation levels. organic matter (P 0.009), dry 0.008), nitrogen-free extract 0.012) digestibilities quadratically by chitosan. Cecal lactobacilli , E. coli coliform Salmonella spp. populations P<0.05) decreased response supplementation. All villus width, length, crypt depth P<0.001), whereas muscular layer thickness P=0.002). summary, supplementing diet can improve indicators, immunity, morphology, as well reduce pathogenic bacteria.