Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - Department of Nutrition

A 135 days comparison study was carried outfrom winter 15th December extended to 15th April to investigate the impact of Zinc Oxide Nano-Particles (the average particle size was about (d nm 70.6 nm), that was physically prepared and characterized in the lab, to compare different commercial Zinc sources (inorganic Zinc oxide) on the productive performanceof New Zealand white breed (oryctolagusCuniculus), growth status, male fertility ,semen character(semen volume, sperm concentration, dead and live %, abnormalities % and pH) , female fertility (Dam conception rate, number of live birth , birth weight, weaning weight, FCR and sealing weight), serum lipid profile , kidney function ,liver function, antioxidant biomarker and (Zn) concentration in serum and Muscle tissues and liver of adult and young Rabbits. Thirty-six adult primaries Doe and twelve adult Buck both at puberty age, individually weighted and was randomly assigned into four equal groups each with 3 replicates raised on individual cage. The experimental groups were as the following: Group 1(G1; n=9Doe +3 Bucks) received basal diet supplemented with convention in-organic ZnO 50 ppm in premix, group 2 (G2 =9Doe +3 Bucks) received basal diet supplemented with Free zinc premix)., group 3 (G3; n=9Doe +3 Bucks) received basal diet supplemented with ZnO-NPs 25 ppm in premix,, group 4 (G4; n=9Doe +3 Bucks) received basal diet supplemented with 50 ppm ZnO-NPs in premix.The result revealed that G2 was suffering from reducing productive andreproductive performance.The best growth performance and reproductive indices (The highest conception rate (%), Kindling (%), total litter size, viability rate (%), average birth weight (g) and average weaning weight (g) also lowest pre weaning mortality (%)) was observed for the rabbits fed on diet supplemented with 50 ppm ZnO-NPs /kg of diet

Issued also as CD