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his study was carried out to investigate the effect of different levels of dietary selenium enriched micro-algae supplementation on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood biochemical constituents, and anti-oxidative status of rabbits under Egyptian summer conditions. Total of 90 male growing New Zealand White rabbits, six weeks old with an average initial body weight 757.5 g were used in this study. Rabbits were randomly allocated to six experimental groups, with 15 rabbits in each group. The first was a control group, the other five groups offered feed containing, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.5 mg Sealgae /kg diet, respectively. The results showed that final body weight and average body weight gain were not affected (P>0.05) by selenium enriched micro-algae supplementation. Feed contain Se-algae at 0.2 mg significantly (P<0.011) improved feed conversion ratio, the best feed conversion ratio (2.28 g feed/g gain).Treatment with Se-algae caused significant increase in serum total protein, and globulin concentration while reduce albumin concentration, rabbits fed diet supplemented with 0.1 and 0.2 mg Se-algae were the highest groups in High density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration (55.26 and 54.33 mg/dl, respectively). Dietary treatments with Se-algae significantly (P<0.0001) reduced total cholesterol, Low density lipoprotein (LDL) and total lipids. There was a significant increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), Glutathione Peroxidase (GSH-Px), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) as Se-algae supplementation increased, additionally, rabbit fed diets supplemented with 0.2 and 0.4 mg Se-algae were the highest in T-AOC, (3.28 and 3.19 mMol/L, respectively). Also, rabbit fed diet supplemented 0.2 mg Se-algae recorded the best serum GSH-Px, SOD and CAT (2.68, 47.04 and 640.67mU/ml, respectively). Dietary selenium enriched algae significantly (P<0.0001) reduced thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS), compared with the control group. As rabbit fed diet supplemented with 0.4 mg Se-algae achieved the best hot carcass weight (1498.79g), dressing (63.20%), edible giblets (3.80%) and total edible parts (67.02%). In conclusion, selenium enriched spirulina supplementation improved growth performance, anti-oxidative status and rabbit utilized Se more efficiently in spirulina as organic form of selenium under hot conditions. Accordingly, rabbit meat can be fortified with selenium through dietary supplementation of selenium enriched micro-algae.

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Different formulations of pepper mint oil, i.e. bulk, nano-emulsion and nano-encapsulation were evaluated against 2 nd and 4 th instar larvae of the

The present study aimed to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of four medicinal plant extracts: petroleum ether and ethyl alcohol extracts of the ripen fruits of Melia azedarach and whole aerial parts of Artemisia herba-alba against the two inactive stages of the camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii, embryonated eggs and engorged nymphs in comparison to reference acaricide Butox Ò 5.0 (Deltamethrin). Egg and nymphal immersion tests at four concentrations with three replicates were used. The deformity in larvae hatched from treated eggs and adults moulted from treated nymphs were observed and photographed by light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that M. azedarach and A. herba-alba extracts revealed higher significant toxic effects on embryonated eggs and engorged nymphs comparing with the reference acaricide (Butox Ò 5.0) and control. In egg emmersion test, the LC 50 of petroleum ether extracts of M. azedarach and A. herba-alba was 3.14 and 3.91%, respectively and LC 50 of the respective ethyl alcohol extracts was 1.77 and 2.45%. In nymphal immersion test, LC 50 of petroleum ether extracts of M. azedarach and A. herba-alba was 0.26 and 1%, respectively, and LC 50 of the respective ethyl alcohol extracts was 4.17 and 8.7%.Abnormalities were observed by LM and SEM in the larvae hatched from the treated eggs as incomplete development of legs and mouth parts as well as shrinkage mainly in legs and mouthparts of adults emerged from treated nymphs. In conclusion, all extracts and petroleum ether extracts of the two plants have great potential to be developed as a novel acaricidal for controlling eggs and nymphs of H. dromedarii, respectively.