Effects of dietary Trollius chinensis Bunge residue on performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal health, and cecal microbiota in weaned rabbits

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of Trollius chinensis Bunge residues (TCBR) on growth, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, intestinal healthy and cecal microbiota in weaned rabbits. In total, 48 30-day-old rabbits were randomly allocated into 4 groups, with 12 replicates per group. Four diets were formulated with graded levels of TCBR: 2.0%, 4.0%, and 6.0% represented as TCBR2, TCBR4, and TCBR6 groups alongside a control group without TCBR. The results showed that TCBR2 significantly alleviated adverse clinical manifestations in weaned rabbits and improved survival rate, growth performance, and meat quality. while reducing the feed conversion ratio compared with the Mock group. TCBR2 also enhanced carcass yield, semi-eviscerated carcass yield, liver index, and liver antioxidant capacity, and increased jejunal villus height and villus/crypt ratio compared with that in the Mock group, whereas no differences were observed between the TCBR4 and TCBR6 groups. Notably, 16S RNA analysis revealed that Bacteroidota levels were significantly elevated in the TCBR2 groups, with Akkermansia, Clostridium, and Succiniclasticum also upregulated in the TCBR2 group. Furthermore, TCBR2 significantly increased the expression levels of occludin and ZO-1 in jejunal tissue. In conclusion, TCBR2 supplementation improved growth performance and attenuated adverse clinical symptoms in rabbits.