Effect of feeding probiotics and/ or Ocimum basilicum seeds on some productive and physiological traits in the local male rabbits

This study aimed to find out the effect of feeding probiotics or/and Ocimum basilicum seeds on productivity and physiological traits. Twenty local male rabbits aged 2.0 –4.0 months, with average body weight 1700g. Animals fed on a concentrate pellets diet and green grasses and tap water offered. Rabbits were randomly and equally divided into four groups. All groups were daily fed on a concentrate pellets diet (2%) of body weight, first group (C) as control group, second group (P) fed on the same concentrate pellets and water containing 5mg/kg body weight of probiotics, third group (B) was gives 2% of Ocimum bacillicum seeds (basil seeds) while forth group (PB) was gives 2% of Ocimum bacillicum seeds and water containing 5mg/kg body weight of probiotics. The results revealed that body weight was progressively increased in all groups, but the treated groups showed significantly (p 0.05) better values than the control group. Also the treated groups conducted significantly (p 0.05) higher total gain compared with the control group. Hemoglobin concentration increased with time progress in all groups, significantly (P 0.05) higher values than the control group along most studied periods. While serum glucose levels reduced in all groups, but the treated groups showed significantly (P 0.05) lower values than the control group in late experimental periods. With time progress, serum cholesterol and triglyceride percentages were reduced in all groups, but the control group recorded significantly (p 0.05) higher values than the treated groups, and B and PB groups recorded the lower values than P group. AST enzyme activity in all groups were decreased with time, while the treated groups recorded significantly (P 0.05) lower values compared with the control group along most studied period.