Rabbit Fact Sheet - Benefits of Nutritional Ingredients
Extra-nutritional ingredients promote healthy digestion and metabolism
SUMMARY: Providing nutrients to complement the hay and water base diet of the rabbit often relies upon a commercially prepared extruded feed. This format provides a vehicle for the delivery of additional protein, vitamins and minerals. It also creates a route to deliver other extra-nutritional ingredients that can improve host defenses and provide support to overcome digestive challenges. Extra-nutritional ingredients like probiotic yeast culture, prebiotic mannanoligosaccharide (MOS), and saponins from Yucca schidigera have been shown to enhance intake, digestion, and immunity. Genesis Extruded Rabbit Food provides a balance of protein, minerals, and vitamins plus the extra-nutritional assurance of yeast culture, MOS, and Yucca schi- digera extracts.
INTRODUCTION: Some rabbit owners may feel all that is necessary to adequately meet the nutrition of the rabbit is to provide fresh water and some, leafy green hay. While this might meet most of the rabbits nutritional requirements there may be a few elements in the diet that are lacking. Adding these to the diet can be a challenge. However, extruded rabbit feeds have been used to combine these supplementary ingredients into a form that is easy to handle and effective as a nutrient delivery vehicle. These extruded pellets most often contain supplemental levels of protein, fats, minerals and vitamins. They may also contain some other beneficial feed additives. Specifically, small amounts of ingredients known as prebiotics, probiotics, and saponins can be very beneficial.
Probiotics are beneficial micro-organisms that temporarily take up residence in the animals’ stomach and intestinal tract. The classic examples are yeast and lactobacillus spp. Think yogurt. Prebiotics, are “fiber-like” ingredients called oligosaccharides that promote the growth of beneficial bacterial populations in the gut; especially in the cecum and colon. Saponins are plant extracts that bridge the immiscible gap between
water and oil. This activity has implications for a whole host of cellular membranes; animal and bacterial alike. For additional details on how these effect the digestion and metabolism of the rabbit each of these will be described in further detail.
YEAST CULTURE (probiotic) : Yeasts are naturally occurring micro-organisms. Most often they are associated with bread making and brewing. The predominant commercially viable yeast is Saccharomyces cervisiae. Yeast culture is derived from the intentional growth of yeast cells on very specifically designed growth media. The ingredient “yeast culture” consists of the fermented stew that has been harvested and gently dried to retain its viability. As a result of this intentional production the yeast culture is not only enriched with B vitamins, but is also a rich source of digestive enzymes, nucleotides, nucleosides, beta-glucans, trehalose, mannans, oligosaccharides, glutathione, and numerous as yet “unidentified nutritional factors” (Swanson and Fahey, 2004). The impact of all these elements on the health and nutrition of the rabbit have not been fully described. However, diets supplemented with yeast culture have been attributed with more consistent food intake, improved nutrient utilization, better gut health, enhanced immunity, and improved skin and coat condition.
MOS (prebiotic) : While yeast culture brings a large number of bioactive nutrients and intermediates, the more discrete extract from cell walls of specially grown yeasts have been shown to have some very unique and specific properties. These cell wall fractions are rich in mannan sugar moieties of long chain oligosaccharides collectively known as mannanoligosaccharides (MOS). Functionally MOS has been shown to interfere with the adherence of pathogenic bacteria binding to the intestinal cell walls. The net result is an enhancement in the immune response in the
GI (Swanson et al., 2002). This is thought to create a barrier to the negative effects of pathogenic bacteria and improve prospects for overall health and improved survivability.
YUCCA SCHIDIGERA (saponin) : Another class of compound collectively known as saponins have been touted for numerous nutritional benefits; the least of which is reducing fecal odor by reducing ammonia production. One of the more common feed saponins is derived from the crude mechanical extraction of the dessert plant Yucca schidigera. The Yucca saponin has a soluble steroid nucleus and a water soluble carbohydrate side chain. Thus, it can act as a surfactant possessing both lipid and water soluble characteristics. This is important in aiding fat digestion in the small intestine. The Yucca saponins have also been shown to select against G+ bacteria and certain protozoa. This is of great benefit to the stability of fermentation and may partially explain how yucca can lower NH3 production and fecal odor. In addition to these direct effects of Yucca on fermentation, it has been reported to improve neonate survivability, enhance the immune function, impair tumor formation, and improve growth in various animal species (Cheeke 1999).
LITERATURE CITED:
• Cheeke, P.R. 1999. Actual and potential applications of Yucca schidigera and Quillaja saponaria saponins in human and animal nutrition.
Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
• Swanson, K.S., C.M. Grieshop, E.A. Flickinger, L.L. Bauer, H. Healy, K.A. Dawson, N.R. Merchen, and G.C. Fahey, Jr. 2002. Supplemental fructooligosaccharides and mannanoligosaccharides influence immune function, ileal and total tract nutrient digestibilities, microbial populations and concentrations of protein catabolites in the large bowel of dogs. J. Nutr. 132:980-989.
• Swanson, K.S. and G.C. Fahey, Jr. 2004. The role of yeasts in companion animal nutrition. In Nutritional Biotechnology in the Feed and Food Industries: Proceedings of Alltech’s 20th Annual Symposium. Nottingham Press, Nottingham, UK pp475-484.
