EFECTS OF FEEDING DIETS CONTAINING Aspergillus niger FERMENTED SHEA BUTTER CAKE ON THE HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF WEANER RABBITS

Abstract

Shea butter cake (SM), obtained from shea nut processing factories in Bida, Niger State, was subjected to fermentation for different hours of 0, 72, 144, 216 and 288 hours, using solid state fermentation technique, Aspergillus niger as the fermenting organism. The fermentation was stopped at the end of each time and dried in the oven at 105^oC for five (5) hours, and packaged in plastic containers. A total of 72 rabbits were used for the study, and were allotted to six treatments, with two (2) rabbits per replicate of six replicates per treatments. The rabbits were fed the experimental diets for 12weeks ad-libitum. The diets were: T1 (maize GNC base control diet,), T2 (10% unfermented SM), T3 (10% SM fermented for 72 hours), T4 (10% SM fermented for 144 hours), T5 (10% SM fermented for 216 hours) and T6 (10% SM fermented for 288 hours). After the feeding trial, blood samples were collected from the rabbits for the determination of haematological and serum biochemical parameters. Results obtained revealed that the PCV and MCHC of T5 had superior values (30.67% and 29.33 % respectively). However, no significant difference (p>0.05) was observed for WBC, NUE, LYM and EOS across the treatments. While for serum biochemical indices only the alkaline phosphatase for T2 (298.87 UI/mol) was observed to differ from the remaining treatments. Hence, fermentation of shea butter cake for 216 hours with Aspergillus Niger improved most of the haematological parameters of weaner rabbits. It is an agro-waste material that can be a good substitute for the conventional groundnut cake for feeding rabbits when processed (fermented).