EFFECT OF THYME LEAVES ON BLOOD GLUCOSE , REPRODUCTIVE AND PR0DUCTIVE PARAMETERS IN MALE AND FEMALE LOCAL RABBITS

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Thyme leaves( Thymus vulgaris ) on blood glucose, as well as, their reflection on body weight , mean body weight increment and feed efficiency in males and females local rabbits, and its effects on some reproductive characters, as testes and uterine weight and puberty age .The rabbits which were of 12 weeks old had been divided into 4 groups each 6 rabbits ( 2 replicates ) for males and females . Rabbits of 1st group ( males ) and of the 2nd group ( females ) were fed on the standard ration ( control ) , while the 3rd ( males ) and the 4th ( females ) groups were fed on standard ration containing 2 % thyme leaves for 10 weeks . And to determine the puberty age , 4 sexually mature males and 4 sexually mature females were used since the 6th week of experiment. Blood samples were obtained at the end of the 10th week. The results revealed a significant hypoglycemic effect of thyme leaves in both sexes which reflected significantly as an increase in body weight, mean body weight increment and feed efficiency improvement in both sexes ( females were better than males ), the treatment also causes a significant increase in uterine weight percent to body weight that leads to reduce the female puberty ages significantly.