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In an experiment to determine the effect of feeding graded levels of Gliricidia sepium Leaf Meal (GLM) on the heamatology, serum chemistry and carcass characteristics of rabbits in the tropics, twenty-five (25) weaned rabbits of mixed sexes, 5-6 weeks old, were randomly allotted to five (5) dietary treatments in which GLM replaced soybean meal (SBM) at 0% (control), 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% with five (5) rabbits per treatment in a completely randomised design. Each rabbit constituted a replicate. Haematological and serological parameters measured at the end of 8 weeks of feeding indicated significant (P<0.05) variations in packed cell volume (PCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and serum albumins, and highly significant (P<0.01) changes in erythrocyte counts (RBC), leucocytes counts (WBC) and in total serum proteins with variations in the level of dietary GLM. The haemoglobin (Hb), mean cell volume (MCV) mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and serum globulins were, however, unaffected (P>0.05) by variations in the level of dietary GLM.

Aeration of pitching yeast signicantly increases the metabolism of acetate. This increase is particularly noticed at an enzymatic level, with special reference to the specific activity of the Fe+ + + linked pyruvate de-carboxylase which has been shown to be involved in the production of acetic acid. At the beginning of fermentations carried out with aerobic and anaerobic pitching yeasts, an increase in acetic acid production is observed, this is followed by reabsorption. Stabilisation in the concentration of acetic acid is observed until the end of fermentation. Initial and final concentrations of acetic acid obtained during fermentations were significantly higher in fermentations carried out with aerobic pitching yeasts than in fermentations carried out with anaerobic pitching yeasts.

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