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Organic Iodine Improves the Growth Performance and Gut Health of Fujian Yellow Rabbits
by
, , , , , , and
Qinghua Liu
,
Yeqiu Zhang
,
Jie Zhang
,
Zhijian Du
,
Bixian He
,
Juanqing Qin
,
Li** Zhang
and
**g Zhang
* College of Animal Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Animals 2024, 14(13), 1935; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131935
Submission received: 9 April 2024
/
Revised: 5 June 2024
/
Accepted: 25 June 2024
/
Published: 29 June 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Mammals)
Simple Summary
Iodine regulates the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, minerals, and vitamins in animals. Organic iodine overcomes the problems of low absorption and utilization rate and excessive dosage of traditional inorganic salts. Fujian yellow rabbits, a local elite variety, have a medicinal function, a high reproduction rate, and great carcass quality, presenting a huge market potential. Fujian yellow rabbits are hindgut fermenters, which are typically in a precarious balance. Gut health directly affects the health of the animals, which in turn affects production performance. This study described the effect of organic iodine in Fujian yellow rabbit diets and indicated that organic iodine improves growth performance and increases serum T3 and serum T4 concentrations. Organic iodine ameliorates gut health through adequate intestinal morphology, and active caecum fermentation, and enhances enzyme activity and intestinal immunity when adding 0.5 mg/kg organic iodine in Fujian yellow rabbit diets.
Abstract
Organic iodine is a new trace element additive that is highly efficient in regulating cell growth, function, and metabolism. This study demonstrated that organic iodine improves the growth performance and gut health of Fujian yellow rabbits. A total of 160 healthy rabbits of similar weight were randomly divided into four groups, which were treated with organic iodine (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg) for 60 days. Our results indicated that organic iodine improved the growth performance, including significantly increased BW, ADG, and ADFI, and decreased F/G notably. Organic iodine improved the content of T3, T4, IgM, IgA, and IgM in serum, and intestinal mucosal immunity (IL-1α, IL-2, and sIgA). Organic iodine supplementation ameliorated gut morphometry and morphology, such as higher villus height and lower crypt depth. Organic iodine increased the amount of goblet cells significantly. The 0.5 mg/kg organic iodine most increased the activities of amylase, cellulase, and trypsin in caecum. Organic iodine induced more active caecum fermentation, higher NH3-N, acetic acid, propionic acid, and butyric acid, while lowering PH. In conclusion, organic iodine improved the growth performance and gut morphometry and morphology, and increased caecum enzyme activities, active caecum fermentation, and intestinal immunity of Fujian yellow rabbits.
Keywords:
organic iodine; Fujian yellow rabbits; growth performance; gut health
