In vitro Gas Fermentation and Nutritional Evaluation of Some Non-Conventional Plants as feed for Ruminant

• Adejoke A. Mako

  Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

  Author

• Oluwanike Abiola-Olagunju

  Department of Microbiology, Lead City University, Ibadan. Oyo State. Nigeria

  Author

• Victor O. Akinwande

  Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

  Author

This study evaluated the nutritional properties of the shed leaves of these non-conventional plants: Cassia fistula (CF). Tectona grandis (TG), Magnifera indica (MI), Citrus sinensis (CS), and Theobroma cacao (TC), by determining their chemical composition, in vitro digestibility, and gas production measurement. Chemical composition revealed that DM and CP recorded highest and lowest values 91.66 %, 93.23%, and 4.01%, 10.94% in TG and CS respectively. The nitrogen detergent fibre (NDF) ranged from 55.13 to 60.13 % in MI and TG respectively. The highest in vitro gas produced at 24hrs (13.67 ml/200 mg DM) was obtained for CF, while TG produced least (5.67 ml/200 mg DM). Metabolizable energy, organic matter digestibility, short-chain fatty acids, and methane followed the same trend of gas production in ascending order from 3.27 to 4.67 MJ/kg DM; 31.12 to 37.93%; 0.08 to 0.25mmol; 2 to 6ml/200mg DM in TG and CS respectively. The insoluble degradable ‘b’ fraction was 5.67 to 12.00 in TG and CS respectively, while potential degradability ‘a+b’ ranged from 5.67 to 13.67 ml/200mg DM in TG and CF respectively. Conclusively, due to the advent of climate change, these non-conventional plants were found to have potential as an alternative feed for ruminants when there are fodder shortages.

1. Adejoke A. Mako, Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

   Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

2. Oluwanike Abiola-Olagunju, Department of Microbiology, Lead City University, Ibadan. Oyo State. Nigeria

   Department of Microbiology, Lead City University, Ibadan. Oyo State. Nigeria

3. Victor O. Akinwande, Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

   Department of Agricultural Science, Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun. Ijebu-Ode

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