ABSTRACT

Eighteen weaner rabbits were used to evaluate the effect of fresh leaves of Pterocarpus santalinoides on the growth performance and serum chemistry parameters. The rabbits were randomly divided into three (3) treatment groups; each treatment was replicated three times, two rabbits constituting a replicate, in a completely randomized design (CRD), the experiment lasting for 56 days. Treatment one (Ti) was made up of concentrate + grasses with conventional forage legumes; treatments two (T2) and three (T3) were constituted by concentrate + grasses with 50% and 75% respectively, of fresh leaves of Pterocarpus santalinoides as the only forage legume. Growth performance parameters such as feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio as well as serum chemistry indices: glucose, total protein, creatinine, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were evaluated. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the growth performance parameters evaluated. There were significant (P<0.05) variations among the treatment groups in some of the serum chemistry parameters. Glucose was highest (P<0.05) in Ti (78.0 mg/dl), Treatment two (T2) had 58.0mgldl glucose which was superior (P<0.05) to the value (43.33mg/dl) obtained in T3. Creatinine was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Ti (1.62 mg/dl) than inT2 (1.21 mgldl) but varied not (P>0.05) from T3 (1.44 mg/dl). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) was significantly (P<0.05) higher in Ti (85.93u11) than in T2 (81.10 ull), which in turn was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the values obtained in T3 (77.54 ull) All the serum chemistry indices fell within the normal reference ranges for rabbits. Pterocarpus santalinoides leaves had no deleterious effect on the health and well being of the rabbits and therefore can be included in the forage legume mixture for rabbits up to 75%.