Effects of dietary supplementation with zinc oxide or selenium nanoparticles and their combination on rabbit productive performance, nutritional and physiological responses

Abstract

This research investigated how supplementing growing rabbits with zinc oxide nanoparticles (Nano-ZnO) and selenium nanoparticles (Nano-Se) impacts their growth performance, digestibility, blood biochemistry, and liver mineral content. The study utilised 40 male and 40 female New Zealand White rabbits, all 30 days old, with an average weight of 720 ± 6 g. Rabbits were divided into four treatment diets with 10 replicates of two rabbits each (one male and one female) for 60 days. The diets comprised of 1) control diet, 2) control diet + 40 mg/kg Nano-ZnO, 3) control diet + 0.6 mg/kg Nano-Se, and 4) control diet + 40 mg/kg Nano-ZnO + 0.6 mg/kg Nano-Se. Results showed that dietary Nano-ZnO and Nano-Se in single or combination improved (p < 0.05) the growth performance, carcase yield, crude protein, and ether extract digestibility compared with the control group. Rabbits received Nano-ZnO and Nano-Se alone or in mixture showed lower (p < 0.05) abdominal fat and serum levels of cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), creatinine, and urea activities than the control. The addition of Nano-ZnO, Nano-Se, or their combination did not affect the concentrations of zinc or selenium in the livers of male and female rabbits. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of Zinc oxide and Selenium nanoparticles alone or in combination improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility of male and female rabbits.