Currently, in animal nutrition, the replacement of synthetic substances with natural ones was expected to improve animal health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a dietary brown seaweed and plant polyphenol mixture in adult male rabbits on the haematological profile and antioxidant markers. Twenty-four adult male rabbits were divided into three experimental groups receiving a control diet (C) or diets supplemented with 0.3% (T1) and 0.6% (T2) of a feed additive containing brown seaweed (Laminaria spp.) and plant extracts of seaweed origin. The trial lasted for 90 days. A lower potassium concentration was observed at 30 days in the T2 group, compared with the T1 and C groups. An increase in the antioxidant status was observed (P < 0.05) from day 60 of the trial in the rabbits fed diets with an algae-polyphenolic supplement (T1 and T2 groups). Concluding, the diet supplementation of brown seaweed and polyphenol stimulates the antioxidant status of the blood, however, it does not affect the haematological profile.

Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science University of Bari Aldo Moro Bari Italy

Department of Animal Husbandry Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra Slovak Republic

Department of Animal Physiology Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences Slovak University of Agriculture Nitra Slovak Republic

Department of Veterinary Medicine University of Milan Lodi Italy

Institute of Biology Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences Pedagogical University of Cracow Cracow Poland

Institute of Farm Animals Animal Production Research Centre Nitra Lužianky Slovak Republic

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