**3. Results**

#### *3.1. Body Weight, Feed Intake, and Feed Conversion Ratio*

The feed intake of rabbits that were administered orally with RSO and WGO or their mixture is presented in Table 2. The final BW increased significantly (*p* = 0.001) when rabbits were administered orally with RSO and WGO or their mixture compared to the control group. Weight gain and ADG increased significantly (*p* = 0.001) with WGO and MOs treatments compared to the control group. The highest value of final BW, weight gain, and ADG was recorded in the MOs treatment. However, vegetable oil treatments did not affect the average weight gain percentage, total feed intake, and daily feed intake. Meanwhile, FCR improved significantly with RSO and WGO or their mixture treatments compared to the control group.


**Table 2.** Growth performance, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture.

> a,b,c Means with a different superscript in the same row are significantly different (*p* ≤ 0.05).

> > Results in Figure 1 indicate that there was no significant difference between the treatments in body weights in the first 3 weeks of the present study. However, body weights increased (*p* ≤ 0.05) with RSO and WGO or their mixture treatments from the 4th week to the 7th week of the experiment compared to the control group.

**Figure 1.** Body weight of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture. Columns marked with different superscripts are significantly different at *p* ≤ 0.05.

#### *3.2. Digestion Coefficients of Nutrient, Nutritive Values, and Nitrogen Balance*

The different experimental treatments with oils had a significant (*p* ≤ 0.05) improvement in the digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, and fiber fraction compared to the control group (Table 3). The results illustrated in Figure 2 show that the oral administration of RSO, WGO, and their mixture had a significant effect on the total TDN, DCP, and DE. The data presented in Table 3 showed that there was a significant (*p* ≤ 0.05) improvement in nitrogen intake, absorbed nitrogen, NB, NB as % of N-intake, and NB as % of absorbed-N in rabbits that received Mos, followed by those of rabbits that received RSO and WGO compared to the control group. The results showed

that there were no significant differences in fecal nitrogen and urinary nitrogen among the experimental diets.

**Table 3.** Digestion coefficients of nutrient and nitrogen balance of experimental diets of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture.


a,b,c,d Means with a different superscript in the same row are significantly different (*p* ≤ 0.05). NDF: Neutral detergent fiber; ADF: Acid detergent fiber; NB: Nitrogen balance.

**Figure 2.** Nutritive value and digestible energy of experimental diets of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture. Columns marked with different superscripts are significantly different at *p* ≤ 0.05. TDN: Total digestible nutrients; DCP: Digestible crude protein; NR: Nutritive value; DE: Digestible energy.

#### *3.3. Lipid Content and Fatty Acids Profile of Rabbit Meat*

The results of the lipid content and the fatty acid composition of the rabbit meat were influenced by the oil administration (Table 4 and Figure 3). It was observed that rabbits that received RSO, WGO, and MOs had a significant (*p* = 0.001) decrease in the meat content of lipids compared to the control rabbits. In addition, rabbits that received RSO and WGO had a significant (*p* = 0.001) increase in the meat content of linolenic c18:3 n-3 compared to the control rabbits. Moreover, TUFA in meat increased significantly (*p* = 0.050) with MOs treatment and insignificantly with RSO and WGO treatments compared to the control group. There was a significant (*p* = 0.050) reduction in the palmitic c16:0 and oleic c18:1 concentration in the muscles of rabbits that received a mixture of oils and WGO compared to the control rabbits. Furthermore, there was a significant (*p* = 0.050) reduction in SFA concentration in the muscle of rabbits that received a mixture of oils compared to the control rabbits. On the other hand, oral administration of RSO, WGO, and their mixture had no effect on the meat content of linoleic c18:2, PUFA, and omega-6.

**Table 4.** Meat fatty acid profile of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture.


a,b,c Means with a different superscript in the same row are significantly different (*p* ≤ 0.05).

**Figure 3.** Meat fatty acid profile and lipids content of V-line growing rabbits (5–12 weeks of age) that were administered orally with rocket seed oil, wheat germ oil, and their mixture. Columns marked with different superscripts are significantly different at *p* ≤ 0.05. SFA: Saturated fatty acids; UFA: Unsaturated fatty acids; MUFA: Monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: Polyunsaturated fatty acids; n-3: Omega-3; n-6: Omega-6.

#### *3.4. Serum Biochemical Parameters*

The changes in the serum biochemical parameters due to the oral administration of growing rabbits with RSO and WGO or their mixture are presented in Table 5. The serum total protein increased significantly (*p* = 0.019) by oral administration of MOs compared with the control group. However, serum albumin tended to increase in groups that received RSO and MOs than in the control group. As well as serum globulin tended to increase in the rabbits that received WGO and MOs than in the control group. In comparison with the control group, oral administration of RSO and WGO or a mixture of them caused (*p* = 0.050) a decrease in serum blood urea nitrogen.



a,b,c Means with a different superscript in the same row are significantly different (*p* ≤ 0.05). A/G ratio: Albumin/globulin ratio; HDL-c: High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-c: Low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; vLDL-c: Very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol; T3: Thyroxine; T4: Triiodothyronine.

> In terms of lipid profile, it has been observed that oral administration of RSO (*p* = 0.001) increased total lipids compared to other groups. Serum blood HDL-c was higher (*p* = 0.033) in the WGO and MOs groups than in the RSO and the control groups. Whereas, all the treated rabbits with vegetable oils had (*p* = 0.001) a decrease in serum LDL-c compared to the control group. Moreover, there is no significant (*p* > 0.05) effect between oil treatments and the control group in serum blood TG, cholesterol, and vLDL-c and HDL-c/LDL-c ratio. The treatments of RSO, WGO, and a mixture of them had a positive effect on thyroid hormone secretion.
