Microbial status and quality of rabbit meat after rabbits feed supplementation with phyto-additives

Abstract

Nowdays, there is an increasing  interest in public health issue due to consumption of healthy and nutritive food, e.i. rich in proteins, low in cholesterol and lipid contents. The aim of this study was to examine if oregano, sage and Eleutherococcus senticosus extracts, commercial Xtract as well can influence microbial status of rabbit meat after their supplementation of rabbit feed. Reduction of enterococci, coagulase-negative staphylococci and Staphylococcus aureus after feed supplementation by the sage and oregano was more detectable at the end of the experiment (at day 42) than after their application (at day 21). In animals with Xtract addition, antibacterial effect has been noted already at day 21. Our in vivo results confirmed in vitro antibacterial effect of the tested extracts and showed that maintaining of rabbit meat quality by plant extracts is very promising.