Health Aspects, Growth Performance, and Meat Quality of Rabbits Receiving Diets Supplemented with Lettuce Fertilized with Whey Protein Hydrolysate Substituting Nitrate
Ali Osman,
Tharwat A. Imbabi,
Abdalla El-Hadary,
Islam Ibrahim Sabeq,
Shimaa N. Edris,
Abdel-Rahaman Merwad,
Ehab Azab,
Adil A. Gobouri,
Amaal Mohammadein,
Mahmoud Sitohy
Affiliations
Ali Osman
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Tharwat A. Imbabi
Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha Univerisity, Benha 13736, Egypt
Abdalla El-Hadary
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Islam Ibrahim Sabeq
Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Shimaa N. Edris
Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University, Benha 13736, Egypt
Abdel-Rahaman Merwad
Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Ehab Azab
Department of Nutrition and Food Science, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Adil A. Gobouri
Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Amaal Mohammadein
Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
Mahmoud Sitohy
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Zagazig University, Zagazig 44511, Egypt
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was grown using a foliar spray with whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) as opposed to normal nitrate fertilization. Lettuce juice was prepared from lettuce cultivated without any fertilization, nitrate fertilization, or WPH. Sixty weaned, 4-week-old male V-line rabbits with an average 455 ± 6 g body weight were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 15) and administered different lettuce juices. Rabbits administered WPH-fertilized lettuce showed significantly higher (n = 5, p p p < 0.05) lower RBCs and Hb levels than that of the other groups, while those receiving WPH-fertilized lettuce showed the highest levels. Liver and kidney sections of rabbits receiving WPH-fertilized lettuce witnessed the absence of the histopathological changes induced by feeding on nitrate-fertilized lettuce and produced higher quality meat. WPH-lettuce can substitute nitrate-fertilized lettuce in feeding rabbits for better performance and health aspects.
