Effect of dietary replacement of sunflower oil with silkworm (bombyx mori l.) oil on the total tract apparent digestibility and nutritive value in growing rabbits

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the diet ary incorporation of silkworm ( Bombyx mori) oil (SWO) in rabbit diets as a total replacement of sun flower oil, on the total tract apparent digestibili ty (TTAD) and nutritive value of experimental diets. T o this purpose, twenty-four 55-days-old rabbits (Martini group hybrid) were individually housed in digestibility cages and randomly assigned to one of the two experimental groups (12 rabbits/group): the first group received a standard commercial diet containing 1.30% sunflower oil (Control), whereas t he second group received a diet in which sunflower oil was replaced entirely with 1.30% silk worm oil (SWO). Rabbits had ad libitum access to water and feed throughout the experimental trial. T he digestibility trial consisted of a seven-day adaptation period followed by a four-day collection period. The experimental diets and the collected faeces were analysed to evaluate the TTAD, and the nutritive value of the diets was then calculated. No morbidity and mortality was observed during the rial in both groups. The inclusion of SWO did not influence the TTAD of nutrients. However, SWO d iet displayed a higher digestible protein (DP) to digestible energy (DE) ratio than the Control group (P<0.001), which resulted from the highest DP (P=0.001) and the lowest DE (P=0.022). In conclusio n, SWO has provided a TTDA comparable to that of sunflower oil and can therefore replace pla nt-based oil in diets for growing rabbits without a ny adverse effect on nutrients digestibility and on th e nutritive value of the diets.