Focus on The Effect of Dietary Pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) Seed Oil Supplementation on Productive Performance of Growing Rabbits

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate pumpkin seed oil's effect on body weight, digestive enzymes' activity, and the metabolic and antioxidant parameters of growing rabbits. This study was performed using two groups of 8-weeks old New Zealand White rabbits (NZW) (n=10/ each group). The experiment lasted for eight weeks. The animals were divided randomly to either the control group and fed on a basal diet (C) or the experimental with a basal diet supplemented with 5 g pumpkin seed oil/kg diet (P). Results revealed a significant increase in body weight, blood glucos levels, total lipids and total protein, and serum amylase activities, lipase, and protease. Significant improvements in the antioxidative parameters of rabbits were also observed. In conclusion, the benefits shown in this study support further research into the use of dietary supplementation with pumpkin oil for increasing productivity in growing rabbits.