PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTATION IN RABBIT: A REVIEW

R.P. KALMA¹*, V.K. PATEL², A. JOSHI³, R.V. UMATIYA⁴, K.N. PARMAR⁵, S.V. DAMOR⁶, H.D. CHAUHAN⁷, A.K. SRIVASTAVA⁸, H. A. SHARMA^9
1College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
²College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
³College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁴College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁵College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁶College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁷College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁸College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University-385506, Gujarat, India
⁹Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh, 362001, Gujarat, India
* Corresponding Author : kalmarohit@gmail.com

Received : 09-09-2016     Accepted : 08-10-2016     Published : 01-11-2016
Volume : 8     Issue : 53       Pages : 2811 - 2815
Int J Agr Sci 8.53 (2016):2811-2815

Keywords : Rabbit farming, Emerging enterprise, Coccidiosis, Antibiotics, Growth promoter, Probiotics, Prebiotics, Organic acids
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : None declared
Author Contribution : None declared

The rabbit farming is an important emerging enterprise in many countries of the world. Advantages such as small body size, short generation interval, rapid growth, genetic diversity and high productive potential make rabbit convenient as meat producing small animal in developing countries of the world like India. Raising rabbits in an intensive system can cause many physiological and environmental stress results in spreading of enteric diseases such as coccidiosis and epizootic rabbit enteropathy. The lower level of antibiotics over the years has been used in rabbit production as growth promoters and prophylactic agent of diseases. The European Union Commission banned the use of antibiotics as a growth promoter in animal diets, because of issues with antibiotic resistance and antibiotic chemical residue in animal products, which may cause problems for human health. To replace the antibiotics, new ways are used for prevention and control of infections, which can modulate the gut microflora. These non-antibiotic compounds with bacteriostatic or bactericidal activity are probiotics, prebiotics, bacteriocins and organic acids. Definition of the probiotic is a live microbial feed additive, which has a beneficial effect on the host animal by means of improving its intestinal microbial balance. The bacteria which are generally used as probiotics include the lactic acid bacteria–lactobacilli, enterococci, bifidobacteria and yeasts.