Chemical Composition and in Vitro Gas Production Characteristics of Six Fodder Trees Leaves and Seeds

The aim of this study is to evaluate six fodder trees leaves and seeds, commonly utilized in Sudan namely A. Senegal, A. torrtlis,A. mellifera, A. seyal, A. nilotica and Z.spina-chirsti in term of chemical composition and its relationship with the in vitro gas production characteristics. The chemical composition in term of Ash, ether extract (EE),crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber and total condensed tannin (TCT) were significantly (p<0.001) varies among leaves and seeds. CP were ranged from 17.5% (Z.spina-chirsti) to 26.6% (A. nilotica) and from 19.45% ( A.torrtlis) to 38.69% ( A.Senegal) for leaves and seeds respectively. Total condensed tannin (TCT) content of leaves were significantly (p<0.001) higher than those of seeds it is ranged from 2.3% Z.spina-chirsti to 5.05% A. mellifera and from 0.45% Z.spina-chirsti to 4.19% A.mellifera respectively. Most of chemical composition were significantly correlated with gas production characteristics, ADF and TCT were correlated negatively with gas produced from fermentable part fraction (b) and the potential gas production (a + b), while CP correlated positively. Gas produced from fermentable fraction (b) and the potential gas production (a+ b) were significantly ( p<0.001) higher in seeds than in leaves 64.94ml and 54.98ml respectively for Z.spina-chirsti seeds and 39.79 ml and 39.18 ml respectively for A.mellifera leaves this may be due to their high content of CP and low content of TCT. Therefore, according to the potential gas production performance seeds were ranked higher than leaves. The higher values obtained for the potential gas production in the seeds will indicate a better nutrient availability for rumen microorganisms.

[1]  F. Giráldez,et al.  Condensed tannin content of several shrub species from a mountain area in northern Spain, and its relationship to various indicators of nutritive value , 2002 .

[2]  S. A. Abdulrazak,et al.  Nutritive evaluation of some Acacia tree leaves from Kenya , 2000 .

[3]  B. Williams,et al.  Relationships between preference, rumen degradability, gas production and chemical composition of browses , 1997, Agroforestry Systems.

[4]  A. Nastis,et al.  Influence of deciduous broadleaved woody species in goat nutrition during the dry season in northern Greece , 1996 .

[5]  J. Ribeiro,et al.  Prediction of apparent digestibility and voluntary intake of hays fed to sheep: comparison between using fibre components, in vitro digestibility or characteristics of gas production or nylon bag degradation , 1995 .

[6]  K. Becker,et al.  Formation of complexes between polyvinyl pyrrolidones or polyethylene glycols and tannins, and their implication in gas production and true digestibility in in vitro techniques , 1995, British Journal of Nutrition.

[7]  J. Ribeiro,et al.  A comparison of gas production during incubation with rumen contents in vitro and nylon bag degradability as predictors of the apparent digestibility in vivo and the voluntary intake of hays , 1993 .

[8]  P. V. Soest,et al.  Methods for dietary fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and nonstarch polysaccharides in relation to animal nutrition. , 1991, Journal of dairy science.

[9]  J. Holechek.  Comparative contribution of grasses, forbs, and shrubs to the nutrition of range ungulates. , 1984 .

[10]  E. R. Ørskov,et al.  The estimation of protein degradability in the rumen from incubation measurements weighted according to rate of passage , 1979, The Journal of Agricultural Science.

[11]  M. Hishinuma,et al.  Nutritive Evaluation of Some Fodder Tree Species during the Dry Season in Central Sudan , 2002 .

[12]  A. Bruno-Soares,et al.  Chemical composition, organic matter digestibility and gas production of nine legume grains , 1998 .

[13]  F. Provenza.  Postingestive Feedback as an Elementary Determinant of Food Preference and Intake in Ruminants , 1995 .

[14]  Kh Menke,et al.  Estimation of the energetic feed value obtained from chemical analysis and in vitro gas production using rumen fluid , 1988 .