EVALUATION OF JATROPHA CURCAS SEED MEAL AS A SOURCE OF PROTEIN IN ANIMAL DIETS.

A tota l number of Fourty eight NWZ rabbits at 4 weeks of age (with an average body weight of 683±28g) were randomly divided into three equal groups; Rabbits were randomly distributed into 3 equal groups, 16 rabbits/group in 2 replicates, 8 rabbits in each. The f irst group served a s a control (C) and fed soybean meal (SBM) as the protein source. Jatropha meal (JCSM) replaced SBM at the levels of 50% or 100% in the other two groups (T1 and T2). The experimental rabbits were fed the tested experimental diet for 10 –weeks The aim of th e present study w as to evaluate Jatropha curcas seed meal as a source of protein in animal feeding and to determine growth performance, digestibility of nutrients, nitrogen balance, carcass characteristics, chemical and physical propertie s of rabbit meat. B lood parameters and cecum activities The results obtained showed that: No significant differences were found regarding average body weight at any week of the experimental period. And n o adverse effect of any dietary treatment on the grow th of the experimen tal animals was reported. Apparent DM digestion coefficients of control, 50% Jatropha and 100% Jatropha were, 62.20, 66.65 and 66.85% respectively, differences were not significant. Digestibility of OM followed the same pattern being 60. 26, 66.51 and 67.48% for the same r espective groups. Digestibility of CP for the same diets was 78.57, 80.56, and 80.98%, respectively, differences were not significant. Digestion coefficient of CF was generally low in rabbits being 53% for control, 56.53% for T1 (50%JCSM) a nd 57.61% for T2 (100%JCSM); differences were not significant. In general, It was noticed that NB in control, T1 and T2 were 1.28, 1.03 and 0.82, respectively; T1 was close to the control diet but T2 was less than control . Rabbits fed the experimental die ts had similar c arcass traits and chemical composition and JCSM did not have any adverse effect on meat quality of growing rabbits. It was evident that feeding growing rabbits diets containing different level JCSM either at 50 or 100% ha d almost no signifi cant effect on b lood plasma components. Comparing the morphological structure of the kidney and liver in Jatropha treated rabbits (T2 and T3) to the control rabbits no abnormalities were reported. No toxic syndrome for Jatropha curcas seed meal on rabbits fe d treated diet s (T1 and T2) was observed. Economic efficiency was measured and reported to be better with the group T3 being 125% followed by T2 being 108%. In general, using JCSM in replacement of soyabean meal at any level tested lead to a better econom ic efficiency.