Effect of spray application of Lactobacillus plantarum on in vivo performance, caecal fermentations and haematological traits of suckling rabbits

Figures & data

Table 1 Microbiological composition of the Lactobacillus-based probiotic° as reported by the producer.

Lactobacillus plantarum	10×10^9 CFU/g
Enterobacteria	100 CFU/g
Sporulated bacteria	200 CFU/g
Yeasts	<10 CFU/g
Escherichia coli	Absent
Salmonella spp.	Absent
Staphylococcus aureus	Absent

° MIX-AVI® pro, IVS-Wynco LLC, Springdale, AR, USA

Table 2 Chemical composition of the diet° administered to the does and the litters from 22 to 35 days of age.

Dry matter, %	89.7
Ash, % DM	8.09
Ether extract, % DM	2.75
Crude protein, % DM	14.9
Crude fibre, % DM	20.2
Neutral detergent fibre, % DM	38.9
Acid detergent fibre, % DM	26.3
Acid detergent lignin, % DM	7.46

° Ingredients: alfalfa meal, barley, wheat bran, wheat middling, sunflower meal, beet pulp, calcium carbonate, sodium chloride. Supplied per kg of diet: vitamin A, 8375 U; vitamin D₃, 750 U; vitamin E, 20 mg; vitamin K₃, 1 mg; vitamin B₁, 1 mg; vitamin B₂, 2 mg; vitamin B₆, 1 mg; nicotinic acid, 20 mg; choline chloride, 250 mg; magnesium, 290 mg; manganese, 20 mg; zinc, 60 mg; iodine, 1.25 mg; iron, 26 mg; copper, 10 mg; cobalt, 0.7 mg.

Table 3 Mortality rate (percentage and number of died/total number of rabbits per week) recorded along the lactating period (1–35 days of age).

	LAC	CONT	P
	N=912	N=912
1–7 d	1.0 (9/912)	3.1 (28/912)	0.15
8–14 d	1.5 (14/903)	3.2 (28/884)	0.29
15–21 d	2.0 (18/890)	5.0 (43/856)	0.14
22–28 d	4.4 (38/872)	4.7 (38/813)	0.80
29–35 d	1.0 (9/834)	1.3 (10/775)	0.96
1–35 d	9.6 (88/912)	16.2 (147/912)	0.04

LAC, lactobacilli treated group; CONT, control group.

Table 4 In vivo performance of lactating rabbits.

	LAC	CONT	RMSE	P
	N=24	N=24
Individual milk intake, g/d
1–7 d	132	132	27.2	0.92
8–14 d	202	195	38.4	0.55
15–21 d	229	242	36.2	0.22
Average body weight, g
1 d	82.6	81.0	10.0	0.60
7 d	182	181	21.0	0.89
14 d	285	290	34.6	0.59
21 d	423	441	57.4	0.29
28 d	698	755	111	0.09
35 d	938	932	116	0.34
Average daily weight gain, g/d
1–7 d	14.2	14.3	2.10	0.87
8–14 d	14.7	15.6	2.61	0.24
15–21 d	19.7	21.7	4.49	0.15
22–28 d	37.9	41.8	11.4	0.05
29–35 d	34.3	24.9	9.85	0.04
1–35 d	24.2	23.7	5.11	0.68

LAC, lactobacilli treated group; CONT, control group; RMSE, root mean square error.

Table 5 Volatile fatty acid production (molar percentage of total volatile fatty acid) in the caecal content of the rabbits.

	LAC	CONT	RMSE	P
	N=8	N=8
Acetate	73.0	73.1	2.11	0.42
Propionate	7.10	9.03	0.92	0.138
Butyrate	18.1	15.0	0.95	0.10
Isobutyric	0.56	0.70	0.024	0.052
Isovalerianic	0.65	0.55	0.0364	0.205
Valerianic	0.81	1.59	0.143	0.659
C3:C4	0.39	0.60	0.039	0.0105
Total VFA, mmol/L	24.8	14.5	2.09	0.0002
BCP	0.012	0.012	0.0007	0.199

LAC, lactobacilli treated group; CONT, control group; RMSE, root mean square error; VFA, volatile fatty acid; BCP, branched chain proportion [(isobutyric, mmol/L + isovalerianic, mmol/L)/total VFA].

Table 6 Total white blood cells and white cell profile in rabbit from experimental groups.

	LAC	CONT	RMSE	P
	N=8	N=8
WBC, 10^3×µL	7.96	8.48	0.92	0.4064
Neutrophils, %	19.13	25.95	3.26	0.0118
Lymphocytes, %	73.64	63.88	5.33	0.0211
Monocytes, %	2.31	2.19	0.69	0.8011
Eosinophils, %	1.15	2.35	0.37	0.0024
Basophils, %	2.36	2.32	0.37	0.8769

WBC, white blood cells; LAC, lactobacilli treated group; CONT, control group; RMSE, root mean square error.

Table 7 Values of hematological parameters in the two groups of rabbits.

	LAC	CONT	RMSE	P
	N=8	N=8
RBC, 10^6×µL	4.34	4.86	0.25	0.006
Hemoglobin, g/dL	9.60	10.84	0.52	0.0021
Hematocrit, %	35.36	40.77	2.76	0.0073
MCV, fL	81.40	83.92	4.61	0.3706
MCH, pg	22.12	22.33	0.60	0.5681
MCHC, g/dL	27.40	26.63	1.17	0.3931
RDW, %	17.68	16.17	2.43	0.3133
HDW, g/dL	2.09	1.91	0.21	0.1840
Platelets, 10^3×µL	172	321	239.23	0.3120
MPV, fL	20.84	20.04	4.81	0.7832
PCT, %	0.39	0.75	0.76	0.4333
PDW, %	62.70	62.51	6.56	0.9624
AST, U/L	66.80	61.57	29.36	0.7672
ALT, U/L	42.40	44.14	12.76	0.8205
Cholesterol, mg/dL	53.68	83.43	10.34	<0.001

LAC, lactobacilli treated group; CONT, control group; RMSE, root mean square error; RBC, red blood cells; MCV mean corpuscular volume; MCH, mean corpuscular haemoglobin; MCHC, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration; RDW, red cell distribution width; HDV, haemoglobin distribution width; MPV, mean platelet volume; PCT, plateletcrit; PDW, platelet distribution width; AST, aspartate aminotransferase; ALT, alanine aminotransferase.