Effects of dietary inclusion of Yucca Schidigera extract or phillipsite tuff on digestibility and performances of growing rabbits

Abstract

In order to evaluate the effect of Yucca schidigera extract or an ltalian zeolitite containing phillipsite, 60 growing rabbits Grigi di Cannagnola (initial [w. 1087 ± 129 g) were divided in three groups and fed ad libitum for 83 days with a diet aclded as follows: A) diet + De-odorase ® (120mg/kg) ; B) diet + zeolitite (30 g/kg) ; C) control diet. Sesides, in order to evaluate the effects on dIet digestibility twenty-four 56 days old rabbits (l.w. 1643 ± 120 a) were utilizad for a digestibility in vivo trial by total faeces colrection. The addition of zeolitite resultad in a significant (P = 0.0002) higher feed intake (+9.9 %), however performance traits stiowed small and not signiflcant differences (daily welght gain, g: 23.92 A; 25.83 B; 24.13 C). No differences were induced by Yucca schidigera Zeolitite significantly (P = 0.0054) reduced dry matter digestibility (61.02, 57.20, 80.26 % for A, B, C diet respectively). Ether extract digestibility is significantly affected by Yucca schidigera addition with respect to control (78.26 vs 84.21 %).