Effect of Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) Fruit Waste (SOFW) with Acidomix®AFG on the Coliform Count in the Small Intestine of Weaner Rabbits

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit waste (SOFW) with Acidomix®AFG on the coliform count in the small intestine of weaner rabbits. It was conducted using thirty-five weaner rabbits. There were four dietary treatments, each having five replicates consisting of graded levels of SOFW at 0, 10, 15, and 20% respectively treated with Acidomix®AFG at two levels (0.5% and 0.7%) for each dietary treatment containing SOFW. The main effect of the experimental diets was significant (P<0.05) with a decrease in coliform bacteria in the intestine of the rabbits observed with increasing levels of SOFW for total coliform and lactose fermenting bacteria. Effect of Acidomix®AFG levels was significant (P<0.05) with levels of 0.7% having lower (P<0.05) counts for total coliform, lactose fermenting bacteria and non-lactose fermenting bacteria. The interaction effect between orange and acidomix levels was also significant (P<0.05) with rabbits fed 20% SOFW having the lowest coliform counts for total coliform and lactose fermenting bacteria at both levels of acidomix®AFG. It was concluded that the inclusion of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) fruit waste (SOFW) with Acidomix®AFG has an effect on the coliform count in the small intestine of weaner rabbits.