CURRENT PROSPECTS OF NUTRACEUTICALS IN RABBIT PRODUCTIVITY AND HEALTH – AN UPDATED REVIEW

Abstract

Weaned rabbits become extremely vulnerable to enteric infections as a result of the ban of using antibiotics as growth promoters. Recently, there is a growing interest in natural alternatives of antibiotics that could be used in rabbit production. Nutraceuticals are dietary components that offer additional health benefits beyond their nutritive benefits. Nutraceuticals include vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, prebiotics, synbiotics, enzymes, organic acids, fatty acids, medicinal plants, etc. Due to their potential impacts on maintaining the normal physiological status, strengthening the immune system, and preventing illness, which ultimately led to an increase in productivity, nutraceuticals have recently attracted a lot of attention in rabbit farms. The objective of the present review is to provide information on recent findings about the advantages of dietary supplementation of nutraceuticals on performance, digestibility, meat quality, antioxidative properties, and immunological response in rabbits.