Advances in Animal and Veterinary Sciences September 2025 | Volume 13 | Issue 9 | Page 2006 INTRODUCTION F ood security remains a pressing global issue, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where limited food access is a key indicator of poverty (Marchetti and Secondi, 2022). Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) offer an efficient and sustainable means of animal protein production and contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 by promoting poverty reduction and hunger eradication ( Johnson et al., 2024). e increasing demand for sustainable animal production systems has spurred interest in natural alternatives to synthetic antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). Although antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) improve feed efficiency and growth, concerns over antimicrobial resistance and drug residues have led to global restrictions (Izah et al., 2025). is has prompted interest in natural alternatives such as enzymes, probiotics, organic acids, and phytogenics (Kaur et al., 2024). Phytogenic additives, in particular, offer antimicrobial, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory benefits. Bryophyllum pinnatum, a tropical plant in the Crassulaceae family, is rich in bioactive compounds like flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, and saponins (Namadina et Research Article Abstract | is seven-week study evaluated the effects of Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf meal (BPLM) on the growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality of grower rabbits. A Completely Randomized Design (CRD) was employed using 48 weaned Hyla male rabbits. e rabbits were assigned to four dietary treatments containing 0%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% BPLM. Each treatment group consisted of 12 rabbits, subdivided into three replicates of four rabbits each. Results showed that the 1.5% BPLM inclusion led to the highest feed intake, total weight gain, and feed conversion efficiency. is suggests improved nutrient utilization and gut health, likely due to the bioactive compounds in BPLM. Carcass analysis revealed higher dressing percentages and improved carcass quality in BPLM-fed rabbits. Evaluation of organ weights showed no adverse effects, confirming the safety of BPLM at moderate inclusion levels. Meat quality traits pH, water-holding capacity, and cooking loss were not significantly affected by BPLM inclusion. is indicates that meat acceptability was not compromised. In conclusion, BPLM can be included at up to 1.5% in rabbit diets as a natural growth promoter without negatively affecting growth, health, or meat quality. Keywords | Animal-management, Alternative to antibiotics, Food-security, Growth-promoter, Phytogenic feed additive RAZAQ ANIMASHAHUN 1 *, OLAYINKA ALABI 1 , OOREOLUWA ADEGBOYE 1 , FAVOUR AKINWALE 1 , ADEDEJI ANIMASHAHUN 2 , OLUWABORI ADEFIOYE 1 Bryophyllum pinnatum as an Additive in the Diets of Weaned Rabbit: Effect on Performance, Carcass Analysis and Meat Quality Received | March 31, 2025; Accepted | July 05, 2025; Published | September 05, 2025 *Correspondence | Razaq A. Animashahun, Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Landmark University, P. M. B. 1001, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria; Email: animashaun.rasaq@lmu.edu.ng Citation | Animashahun R, Alabi O, Adegboye O, Akinwale F, Animashahun A, Adefioye O (2025). Bryophyllum pinnatum as an additive in the diets of weaned rabbit: effect on performance, carcass analysis and meat quality. Adv. Anim. Vet. Sci., 13(9):2006-2017. DOI | https://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.aavs/2025/13.9.2006.2017 ISSN (Online) | 2307-8316 Copyright: 2025 by the authors. Licensee ResearchersLinks Ltd, England, UK. is article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY ) license (https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by/4.0/). 1 Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural Sciences, Landmark University, P. M. B. 1001, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Nigeria; 2 Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.