Black Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp.) Hydroalcoholic Extract as an Ameliorating Agent against Heat Stress Conditions of V-Line Rabbit Does

Abstract

Rabbits are sensitive to heat stress (HS) in hot regions due to difficulty in eliminating excess body heat. We evaluated the ameliorating role of black maca hydroalcoholic extract (BMHE) against HS conditions on the productive and reproductive performance of V-line rabbit does. Rabbits were divided into four equal groups (T1–T4), each containing three replicates. T1 received commercial basal diet (BD) only, whereas T2–T4 received BD and 200, 400, and 600 mg BMHE kg−1 body weight (BW) of doe day−1, respectively, administered orally for 1 week before the mating process each month from May to August. HS significantly decreased the BW of rabbits after the weaning period, as well as litter size, and litter weights measured 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the postnatal period. HS conditions also significantly decreased BW at slaughter as well as all carcass quality parameters. HS led to significantly impaired physiological responses, oxidative status, and reproductive efficiency in exposed rabbits. Orally administered 400 mg BMHE kg−1 BW of doe alleviated all these drastic effects in HS rabbits among all treatments. Thus, oral treatment of 400 mg BMHE kg−1 BW (T3) is a promising ameliorating agent against HS conditions in V-line rabbit does, especially in tropical or subtropical regions.