Precision laser acupuncture at back-shu points enhances growth performance, feed efficiency, and hormonal regulation in rabbits

Vet World Vol.18 August-2025 Article - 19

Research Article

Veterinary World, 18(8): 2367-2376

https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2025.2367-2376

Mudhita Zikkrullah Ritonga^1,2,3

, Ertika Fitri Lisnanti^1,4

, Widya Pramita Lokapirnasari⁵

, Sri Hidanah⁵

, Saifur Rehman⁶

, Muhammad Fajar Amrullah⁷

, Rico Anggriawan⁸

, Mutasem Abuzahra⁹

, Denny Irmawati Hasan¹⁰

, Aamir Shehzad¹¹

, and Siti Rani Ayuti^1,12

1. Doctoral Program of Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.

2. Laboratory of Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

3. Center for Tropical Veterinary Studies and One Health Collaboration Center, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

4. Program of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Islam Kadiri, Kediri, Indonesia.

5. Department of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.

6. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan.

7. Doctoral Program of Animal Biomedical Science, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, IPB University, Bogor, Indonesia.

8. Program of Animal Husbandry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kahuripan Kediri, Kediri, Indonesia.

9. Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya, Indonesia.

10. Laboratory of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

11. Disease Diagnostic Laboratory Bhakkar, Department of Livestock and Dairy Development, Government of Punjab, Punjab, Pakistan.

12. Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Kota Banda Aceh, Indonesia.

Background and Aim: Laser acupuncture has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological approach to enhance productivity in livestock. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of laser acupuncture applied to specific back-shu points (Bladder [BL]13, BL15, and BL21) on growth performance, feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed efficiency (FE), and growth hormone (GH) levels in rabbits.

Materials and Methods: A total of 24 male Hycole rabbits were randomly assigned to three groups (n = 8): Group A (placebo control), Group B (laser acupuncture on BL13, BL15, and BL21), and Group C (laser acupuncture on non-specific points). Treatments were conducted weekly over a 6-week period using a 0.2-joule semiconductor laser device. Body weight, feed intake, FCR, FE, and GH concentrations were recorded. GH levels were analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Data were statistically evaluated using a one-way analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s post hoc test.

Results: Group B showed significantly higher final body weight (1.97 ± 0.07 kg), weight gain (919 ± 128 g), GH levels (1.75 ± 0.12 ng/mL), improved FCR (2.67 ± 0.07), and greater FE (37.45% ± 1.09%) compared to Groups A and C (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between Groups A and C, indicating the importance of targeting precise acupuncture points for therapeutic effectiveness.

Conclusion: Laser acupuncture at BL13, BL15, and BL21 significantly enhances metabolic efficiency, growth performance, and hormonal regulation in rabbits. The precision of point application is critical for achieving optimal physiological benefits. This technique provides a sustainable and non-invasive approach to enhancing feed utilization and productivity in rabbit farming and holds promise for broader application in modern animal husbandry.

Keywords: back-shu points, feed efficiency, growth hormone, laser acupuncture, rabbit, veterinary acupuncture.

How to cite this article: Ritonga MZ, Lisnanti EF, Lokapirnasari WP, Rehman S, Amrullah MF, Anggriawan R, Shehzad A, Hasan DI, Abuzahra M, Ayuti SR, and Hidanah S (2025) Precision laser acupuncture at back-shu points enhances growth performance, feed efficiency, and hormonal regulation in rabbits, Veterinary World, 18(8): 2367-2376.

Received: 05-05-2025 Accepted: 18-07-2025 Published online: 21-08-2025

Corresponding author: Sri Hidanah E-mail: sri-h@fkh.unair.ac.id

DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2025.2367-2376

Copyright: Ritonga, et al. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.