Effect Of Replacing Soyabean Meal with Fermented Hydrocotyle Asiatica Seed Meal on The Growth Performance, Semen Quality and Oxidative Stress Markers of Rabbit Bucks

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of replacing soybean meal (SBM) with Fermented Hydrocotyle asiatica seed meal (FHASM) on the growth performance, oxidative status, and seminal characteristics of rabbit bucks. Forty (40) healthy rabbit bucks were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The control group (T1) received a standard diet with 0% FHASM, while treatments T2, T3, and T4 replaced SBM with FHASM at inclu-sion levels of 5%, 10%, and 15%, respectively. The experimental period lasted for 90 days. Results indicated that growth performance parameters, including final body weight gain, daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR), were not significantly (P>0.05) influenced by the dietary replacement, suggesting that FHASM is a nutritionally viable alternative to SBM. Regarding oxidative indices, Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations significantly decreased (P<0.05) as the inclu-sion of FHASM increased across the treatments, indicating a reduction in lipid peroxidation. Conversely, the activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes—Superoxide Dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and Glutathione (GSH)—were signifi-cantly higher (P<0.05) in groups T2–T4 compared to the control. Furthermore, semen quality was markedly improved by FHASM inclusion; semen volume, sperm concentration, mass motility, and the percentage of live sperm were significantly higher (P<0.05) in rabbits fed fermented seed meal than those in T1. It was concluded that fermented Hydrocotyle asiat-ica seed meal can replace soybean meal up to 15% in rabbit buck diets to enhance reproductive potential and oxidative stability without compromising growth performance.