Combined Effects of Dietary Gum Arabic and Mannan Oligosaccharides on Growth Performance, Physiological Responses, Meat Quality, and Selected Cecal Bacteria in Growing New Zealand White Rabbits

Abstract

Simple Summary Digestive disorders and oxidative stress are frequent in growing rabbits and may adversely affect growth and general health. As the use of antibiotic growth promoters is decreasing, the use of natural feed additives is an important alternative. This study aimed to investigate the effect of two natural prebiotics, gum Arabic (GA) and mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), either alone or in combination, on rabbit performance. Eighty New Zealand White growing rabbits were fed either a standard diet or diets supplemented with gum Arabic, mannan oligosaccharides or a combination of both for 8 weeks. The rabbits that received both supplements exhibited significant improvements in body weight, feed efficiency, carcass yield, meat quality, antioxidant status, immune response, and beneficial intestinal bacteria. They also had better blood markers for selected indicators related to hepatic and renal status and fat metabolism, and lower levels of harmful bacteria in the cecum. The combined supplementation gave better results than either additive alone and indicates that the two ingredients work together to support animal health and productivity. These results indicate that the combination of gum Arabic and mannan oligosaccharides is a promising natural nutritional strategy for producing healthier rabbits with better-quality meat.