Metabolic response of the gastrointestinal tract and serum parameters of rabbits to diets containing chicory flour rich in inulin

A 36-day experiment carried out on 54-day-old rabbits addressed the analysis of physiological properties of diets supplemented with chicory roots flour. Twenty-four rabbits were allocated in individual cages to three treatments, in which they were fed each diet with the chicory flour at 0, 25 and 50 g/kg (control, ChF(2.5) and ChF(5) groups respectively). The chicory preparation administered at a higher dose, lowered ileal pH and viscosity, and evoked increased hydration of ileal and caecal digesta, compared to the control treatment (p