{"title":"Dietary Fibre Level Influence on Young Cane Rat Thryonomys swinderianus Growth and Digestive Health","authors":"Y. Yapi, F. Enjalbert, T. Gidenne","doi":"10.1080/15627020.2020.1842803","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"The cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a wild animal recently domesticated in Africa for meat production. The effect of dietary fibre levels on the digestive health and growth in the young cane rat remains largely unknown. Dietary fibre intake, however, seems to play an important role in its digestive functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fibre intake on young cane rats. The estimated optimal dietary fibre content of pelleted diets, which optimised growth without impairing health in young T. swinderianus was examined. The feed intake, growth and health of young cane rats were assessed for four diets with dietary fibre levels set at 7, 12, 20 and 24% acid detergent fibre (ADF) on four groups of 18 animals each. Growth was best with the 12% ADF diet followed by 20% ADF diet, with average live weights reaching 1 404 g and 1 325 g, respectively, at 114 days of age. In contrast and compared with the 12% ADF diet, the 24% ADF diet resulted in a 9% weight reduction. Additionally, the 7% ADF diet led to a 33% mortality rate due to enteritis (without diarrhoea), but was associated with inflammation in the stomach and small intestine. We conclude that the optimal fibre content for growing cane rats fed on complete pelleted diets would be between 12% and 20%.","PeriodicalId":55548,"journal":{"name":"African Zoology","volume":"56 1","pages":"10 - 16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2021-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/15627020.2020.1842803","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"African Zoology","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15627020.2020.1842803","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ZOOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The cane rat (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a wild animal recently domesticated in Africa for meat production. The effect of dietary fibre levels on the digestive health and growth in the young cane rat remains largely unknown. Dietary fibre intake, however, seems to play an important role in its digestive functioning. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary fibre intake on young cane rats. The estimated optimal dietary fibre content of pelleted diets, which optimised growth without impairing health in young T. swinderianus was examined. The feed intake, growth and health of young cane rats were assessed for four diets with dietary fibre levels set at 7, 12, 20 and 24% acid detergent fibre (ADF) on four groups of 18 animals each. Growth was best with the 12% ADF diet followed by 20% ADF diet, with average live weights reaching 1 404 g and 1 325 g, respectively, at 114 days of age. In contrast and compared with the 12% ADF diet, the 24% ADF diet resulted in a 9% weight reduction. Additionally, the 7% ADF diet led to a 33% mortality rate due to enteritis (without diarrhoea), but was associated with inflammation in the stomach and small intestine. We conclude that the optimal fibre content for growing cane rats fed on complete pelleted diets would be between 12% and 20%.
期刊介绍:
African Zoology , a peer-reviewed research journal, publishes original scientific contributions and critical reviews that focus principally on African fauna in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. Research from other regions that advances practical and theoretical aspects of zoology will be considered. Rigorous question-driven research in all aspects of zoology will take precedence over descriptive research. The Journal publishes full-length papers, critical reviews, short communications, letters to the editors as well as book reviews. Contributions based on purely observational, descriptive or anecdotal data will not be considered.
The Journal is produced by NISC in association with the Zoological Society of South Africa (ZSSA). Acceptance of papers is the responsibility of the Editors-in-Chief in consultation with the Editors and members of the Editorial Advisory Board. All views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Editors or the Department.