Effect on rabbit reproduction of adding silver-nano suspension to the drinking water

Du Thanh Hang and Than Thi Thanh Tra

Hue University of Agriculture and Forestry,
Hue, Central Vietnam
hangduthanh@yahoo.com.vn

Abstract

This study evaluated the effect on rabbit reproduction of a silver-nano suspension added to the drinking water. Sixteen rabbit does, 10 months of age were located in individual  cages and allocated to two treatments:  with or wothout 1% AgNano suspension added to the drinking water. The does were fed a pelleted concentrate at 3% of live weight and natural grass ad-libitum.

There was no effect of AgNano treatment on changes in live weight of the does before and after parturition, nor on time to re-mating. Litter size and live weights of the kits at birth, at 24h and at weaning was not affected by incorporation of AgNano in the drinking water. The AgNano treatment reduced the incidence of diarrhea in the kits, increased their survival rate to weaning aand appeared to improve feed conversion during lactation as measured by feed consumed by the doe per unit gain in weight of the litter to weaning.

Key words: diarrhea, feed conversion, live weight gain, survival to weaning

Introduction

The role of nutritional additives to replace conventional antibiotics has been discussed by Doyle (2001), McEwen and Fedorka-Cray (2002) and Butaye et al (2003). Nutritional additives that are already available include organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics and  essential oils (van der Wielen et al 2000; Byrd et al 2001; Chaveerach et al 2004; Gunal et al 2006; Van Immerseel et al 2006).  

Metallic silver and its ions have long been known to have antibacterial properties. Ionic silver is toxic, and its role has been limited. However, the development of nanotechnology has enabled silver to be engineered to nanosize (1–100 nm) and to have a large functional surface area (Luoma 2008). At the nano-scale, silver nano-particles, and suspensions (Ag-Nano) have been shown to have activity against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria (Lok et al 2006; Shrivastava et al 2007; Ahamed et al 2010; Sawosz et al 2011).  

The use of Ag-Nano suspensions in pigs and chickens has been reported by several researchers (Grodric and Sawosz 2006; Sawosz et al 2007; Fondevila 2009) but there appears to be no information on its use in diets for rabbits.

Materials and methods

Location 

The experiment was carried out in the research farm of Hue University.

Experimental design

Sixteen does 10 months of age were located in separate cages and allocated to two treatments:

•  AG: Addition of AgNano suspension (contained 40 ppm of AgNano particles of size 2-10nm) in the drinking water at a concentration of 1% (volume/volume)

• CTL: Untreated drinking water.

The AgNano suspension was obtained from the Hue Tronics Company in Hue city, Vietnam. It had a concentration of 40 ppm and the particle size ranged from 2 to 10nm. 

The experiment began before the does were mated and continued until the offspring were weaned. The drinking water was supplied ad libitum from up-turned bottles (500ml).

Diets and feeding system

The does in both treatments were fed a pelleted concentrate (Table 1) at 3% of live weight and natural grass ad libitum. These feeds were offered in separate troughs three times daily (07.00, 12.00 and 19.00h).

Statistical analysis

The data that were collected during the experiment were analyzed using the GLM option in the ANOVA program of the Minitab software (Minitab 2010).  The results are expressed as Least Square Means, with the standard error of the means (SEM). Sources of variation in the model were treatment, replicates and error.

Results and Discussion

Reproductive and lactation performance of the does

There were no differences in feed intake between rabbit does offered AgNano in the drinking water and those given untreated water (Table 2). 

There were tendencies for live weights before and after parturition to be higher  (p = 0.14 and 0.07) for does that received the AgNano suspension in the drinking water (Table 3). However, live weight loss during lactation and time to re-mating were not affected by AgNano treatment

AgNano treatment in the drinking water of the does did not affect numbers of kits at birth nor at weaning. However, weights of individual kits at weaning and weight gain of the litter from birth to weaning were greater when the dams were given AgNano treatment (Table 4). DM intake of the does during lactation tended (p =0.14) to be higher with AgNano treatment; feed conversion (expressed as feed tintake by the does during lactation per unit gain in weight of the litter to weaning)  was better when AgNano was added to the drinking water.  Incidence of diarrhea in the kits was reduced and rate of survival to weaning was improved when the does received drinking water containing the AgNano suspension.

Discussion

There appear to be no reports on the use of AgNano in feeding systems for rabbits. The results in other species (pigs and chickens) have been variable (Table 5). In five experiments with pigs, supplementation with silver nano particles had no effect on growth rates but appeared to improve feed conversion in two of the five trials. There was no effect of the treatment on growth performance of broiler chickens. A similar lack of effect of AgNano on growth rates of broilers was observed by Pinea et al (2012). On the basis of the variable results so far reported, it seems to be premature to make definitive assertations about the potential role of silver nano suspensions in animal producion.

Table 5. Effect of inclusion of metallic silver nano particles (ARGENTA) on productive performances of animals (from Fondevilla et al 2009)

Conclusions

• There was no effect of AgNano treatment on changes in live weight of the does before and after parturition, nor on time to re-mating.
  
  
• Litter size and live weights of the kits at birth, at 24h and at weaning were not affected by incorporation of AgNano in the drinking water.
  
  
• The AgNano treatment reduced the incidence of diarrhea in the kits, increased their survival rate to weaning aand appeared to improve feed conversion during lactation as measured by feed consumed by the doe per unit gain in weight of the litter to weaning.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the support from the Hue Tronic Company for this study.

References

Butaye P, Devriese L A and Haesebrouck F 2003. Antimicrobial growth promoters used in animal feed: Effects of less well known antibiotics on grame-positive bacteria. Clinical Microbiology Review 16: 175-188.

Chaveerach P, Keuzenkamp D, Lipman L and Van Knapen F 2004. Effect of organic acid in drinking water for young broiler on Campylobacter infection volatile fatty acid production, gut microflora and histologycal cell changes. Poultry Science 83:330-334.

Doyle M E 2001 Alternatives to antibiotic use for growth promotion in animal husbandry. Food Research Institute Briefings, University of Wisconsin-Madision, Madision WI 53706; (Cited 2011 Nov 23) Available from http://fri.wisc.edu/docs/pdf/antibiot.pdf

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Received 19 July 2013; Accepted 12 August 2013; Published 4 September 2013

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