Nutritionally induced enteropathy in the growing rabbit: impact on caecal microbial activity and blood metabolic profile

Nadia Laurent-Bennegadi (1) , Dominique Licois (2) , Thierry Gidenne (3)

1 ESITPA - École supérieure d'ingénieurs et de techniciens pour l'agriculture
2 NutriNeuro - Nutrition et Neurobiologie intégrée
3 TANDEM - Tissus animaux, nutrition, digestion, écosystème et métabolisme

Caecal microbial activity and blood metabolic profiles were assessed according to the health status (diarrhoeic vs. healthy) in growing rabbits after induction of a nutritional enteropathy. Rabbits were fed ad libitum from weaning (28 days) to 70 days of age with a standard fibre content diet (n= 150) or with a deficient fibre diet (n = 209) known to induce non specific enteropathy. The reduction of fibre intake caused a significantly delayed weight growth and markedly increased the health risk index (mortality + morbidity). In diarrhoeic rabbits, dry matter and total volatile fatty acid (tVFAs) concentrations in the caecum dramatically decreased by 27 and 40%, respectively whereas the caecal ammonia concentration, minor VFA proportions and pH markedly increased by 2 and 8.5 times and by 0.7 unit, respectively. In parallel, the C3:C4 ratio increased fourfold and the pectinase activity was significantly depressed. Blood plasma glucose, potassium and albumin concentrations significantly decreased in diseased animals compared to the healthy ones while urea and total cholesterol concentrations showed a two-fold increase suggesting preferential metabolical utilisation of lipids and proteins. These results show that the caecal function and blood metabolic profiles were greatly affected during nutritionally induced enteropathy and that the observed changes were globally similar to those induced by coccidiosis or colibacillos

Mots clés: growing rabbit; fibre deficiency; enteropathy; caecal fermentation; caecal microbial activity; blood parameters

Domaines: Sciences agricoles

Nadia Laurent-Bennegadi, Dominique Licois, Thierry Gidenne. Nutritionally induced enteropathy in the growing rabbit: impact on caecal microbial activity and blood metabolic profile. Revue de Médecine Vétérinaire, 2013, 164 (11), pp.495-502. ⟨hal-01189978⟩