Blood parameters of rabbits given different amounts of iodine citrate

Abstract

The need for iodine in rabbit diets has not been fully elucidated, although some commercial diets use it in varying amounts without scientific justification. The main goal of the experiment was to establish the effect of applied quantities of an organic iodine compound produced by nanotechnology – iodine citrate – on blood parameters of rabbits after weaning from 40 to 96 days of age. Experimental studies were conducted in the conditions of the vivarium of the scientific institution – Institute of Animal Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Lviv on 30 rabbits of the Termonska breed. The control and experimental groups had the same number of 6 animals, of which 3 were males and 3 were females. Young rabbits of the control group were kept on standard granulated compound feed and water without restriction. In contrast to the control, the animals of I, II, III, and IV experimental groups additionally received a solution of iodine citrate in the amount of 2.5; 3.75; 5.0 and 7.5 μg/l of water, respectively. Blood parameters were determined on the 40th day of life (preparatory period) and on the 18th, 43rdБ and 56th days of iodine citrate supplementation. Studies have established a higher number of red blood cells and haemoglobin concentration in the blood of rabbits of Group II (P≤0.05) on the 43rd and 56th days; Group III (P≤0.05) and Group IV (P≤0.05-0.01) on the 18th, 43rd, and 56th days of the study. The haematocrit value of the blood of rabbits of Group II was respectively higher by 16.6% on the 56th day; Group III – by 17.1%; 20.0%, and 22.8%, and in Group IV – by 26.4%; 29.4%, and 23.5% on the 18th, 43rd, and 56th days of the study. The albumin content in the blood of rabbits of Group I was higher by 4.1% on the 43rd day; Group II – by 6.8%; 8.0%; 9.5%; Group III – by 6.1%; 4.6%; 9.5%; Group IV – by 4.5%; 2.7%; 7.3% on the 18th, 43rd, and 56th days of the study, respectively. The content of total calcium in the blood of rabbits of Group II exceeded the control by 22.5% on day 43, the level of inorganic phosphorus in the blood of rabbits of Groups II, III, and IV was respectively higher by 5.8%, 5.0%, and 4.1% on the 56th day of the study compared to the control.