EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTED DIETS OF SCENT LEAF AND BITTER LEAF ON HORMONAL LEVELS AND REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF RABBITS

Abstract

In an 8-week feeding trial, 12 rabbits (Chinchilla X New Zealand White; 4-months old; averaged 1578g body weight) were used to investigate the effect of supplemented diets of Scent leaf and Bitter leaf on hormonal levels and reproductive performance of rabbits. The dietary supplement of Scent leaf and Bitter leaf were added at 10 g/kg each in the feed. The rabbits were housed individually and randomly assigned to three dietary treatments (n=4/group; at 2:2 bucks to does ratio) including a Control diet, diet 2 (Control+Scent leaf), and diet 3 (Control+Bitter leaf). Before mating, blood samples were collected from all the experimental animals for hormonal analysis. The reproductive performance was measured. Results of the hormonal levels were analysed using two-way randomised block ANOVA while the reproductive performance data were subjected to statistical analysis using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) in completely randomized design. The hormonal levels of rabbits fed Scent leaf and Bitter leaf diets revealed that serum luteinising hormone concentration was affected by sex of the rabbit (p<0.05) not the supplemented diets (p>0.05) but there was a significant supplemented diet × sex interaction (p<0.05). Serum testosterone concentration was unaffected by both the supplemented diets (p>0.05) and rabbit sex (p>0.05) but there was a significant supplemented diet × sex interaction (p<0.05). Under the reproductive performance, supplemented Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina diets significantly (p˂0.05) increased does’ live weight before mating, sexual receptivity, conception rate, litter size at birth and litter weight at birth compared with the control. The study concludes that Ocimum gratissimum and Vernonia amygdalina inclusion in rabbit diet is capable of stimulating serum luteinising hormone and testosterone concentration thereby improve does’ sexual receptivity, conception rate, litter size at birth. As herbal plants, they may be used to influences hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in rabbits.