• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.82-88
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• 1997

A study was carried out to evaluate the values of roughages available in Korea on feed intake and digestibility of Korean native goats and consequently to apply its results to the feeding system of Korean goats as a basic information. The results are as follows. 1. The protein contents in Alfalfa and Acacia leaf were 17.6 and 16.3% respectively 11.7 and 6.8% higher than orchardgrass and pine needle. Ether extract tom pine needle was about two times higher than other roughage sources which are 9.2%. 2. Dry matter intake per day in goats fed alfalfa, acacia leaf and orchardgrass was higher (P < 0.05) at 590.3, 543.8 and 496.58 respectively and 217.lg in pine needle. 3. Dry matter intake per basal weight (DM glkg of B$W^{0.75}$ and DM g/kg of BW%) was higher in goats fed acacia leaf at 68.5 and 3.5% respectively than any other treatments goats fed pine needle showed the lowest (P< 0.05) dry matter intake at 28.6 and 1.5% respectively. 4. Dry matter digestibility was highest (PcO.05) in alfalfa fed goats at 61.4%. Dry matter digestibilities in orchardgrass, pine needle and acacia leaf were 58.0, 46.8 and 46.6% respectively. 5. Total digestible nutrients were highest (P< 0.05) in Alfalfa fed goats at 59.5%. Total digestible nutrients in orchardgrass, pine needle and acacia leaf were 54.2, 50.7 and 47.7% respectively. 6. In conclusion, the value of orchardgrass as feed for goats was as excellent as alfalfa and although acacia leaf had a less value than alfalfa in goats, it is considered to be used as a protein supplement in diets for goats due to its high content of protein and excellent palatability. Intake of pine needle in Korean goats in this study was satisfactory and it indicates the possibility of its use as a supplement in diets for goats. However, fkther investigation will be necessary particularly on the deleterious effects of ether extracts of pine needle

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.935-940
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• 2000

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritive value of selected fruits (pods and seeds) and leaves of acacia tree species namely; Acacia nubica (nubica), Acacia tortilis (tortilis) and Acacia brevispica (brevispica), Acacia reficiens (reficiens) and Acacia senegal (senegal). A wide variability in chemical composition, polyphenolics and gas production was recorded. The crude protein (CP) ranged from 131 to 238 g/kg DM. Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and lignin (ADL) were higher in senegal and significantly different (p<0.05) from other species. The nitrogen bound to fiber tended to be higher in leaves than the fruits, ranging from 2.6 to 11.3 g/kg NDF and 1.6 to 3.2 g/kg ADF. The leaves of reficiens and senegal had higher concentrations of total extractable phenolics (TEPH), total extractable tannins (TET) and total condensed tannins (TCT), but lower in NDF, ADF and ADL than the fruits of nubica, tortilis and brevispica. Mineral concentrations varied among species; all were relatively poor in phosphorus, moderate in calcium and magnesium, and rich in microelements. A significant (p<0.05) variation in gas production after 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h was recorded between species. Nubica had the highest (p<0.05) rate of gas production (0.0925) while the highest potential gas production was recorded in tortilis. A strong negative correlation between TEPH and TET with gas production after 24, 48, 72 and 96 was established (r=-0.72 to -0.82). Crude protein and TCT correlated negatively but also weakly with gas production characteristics. Organic matter digestibility calculated from gas production after 48 h (OMD48) ranged between 465 g/kg DM in reficiens and 611 g/kg DM in tortilis. The results of this study indicate that acacia species have the potential to be used as feed supplements.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.220-228
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• 2007

The nutritive value and the effect of tannins on the utilization of foliage from three commonly used legumes, Acacia nilotica, Albizia procera, and Sesbania acculeata, were determined. Three mature rumen-fistulated bullocks were used to study in sacco degradability and twelve adult sheep were randomly allocated on the basis of live weight to 4 groups of 3 in each to study the in vivo digestibility of the foliages. In all foliages, the contents of crude protein (17 to 24% of DM) were high. Fibre was especially high in Albizia (NDF 58.8% of DM vs. 21% in Sesbania and 15.4% in Acacia). Contents of both hydrolysable (4.4 to 0.05%) and condensed tannins (1.2 to 0.04%) varied from medium to low in the foliages. Acacia contained the highest level of total phenolics (20.1%), protein precipitable phenolics (13.2%) and had the highest capacity to precipitate protein (14.7%). Drying in shade reduced the tannin content in Acacia and Albizia by 48.6 and 69.3% respectively. The foliages ranked similarly for each of the different methods used to estimate tannin content and activity. Acacia and Sesbania foliage was highly degradable (85-87% potential degradability of DM in sacco), compared to Albizia (52%), indicating a minimal effect of tannins in Acacia and Sesbania. Yet, in vitro, the tannins in the Acacia inhibited microbial activity more than those in Albizia and Sesbania. Following the addition of polyethylene glycol to neutralise the tannins, gas production and microbial growth increased by 59% and 0.09 mg RNA equiv./dg microbial yield respectively in the Acacia, compared to 16-17% and 0.06 mg RNA equiv./dg microbial yield in the other foliages. There was a trend for low in vivo apparent digestibility of N in the Acacia (43.2%) and Albizia (44.2%) compared to the Sesbania (54.5%) supplemented groups. This was likely to be due to presence of tannins. Consistent with this was the low N retention (0.22 and 0.19 g N/g NI) in sheep supplemented with Acacia and Albizia compared to that for the Sesbania (0.32). Similarly, a trend for poor microbial N yield was observed in sheep fed these foliages. Across the foliages tested, an increase in tannin content was associated with a reduction in ruminal fermentation, N digestibility and N retention. For overall nutritive value, Sesbania proved to be the superior forage of the three tested.

• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.113-116
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• 2010

The Acacia seyal Del. var. seyal belongs to family Mimosaceae is known locally as gum Talha tree. It is a multipurpose tree species occurs throughout the African gum belt in Savannah mostly in pure forest. In Sudan it thrives on heavy clay soils that receive an annual rainfall between 400-800 mm. It is an important source of rural energy (fuelwood and charcoal) and forage. As mentioned by Nair (2007) the economic damage causes by insect in natural forest often difficult to judge due to no enough research attention The tree is frequently affected by biotic factors among them the insect pests. During a survey in the 1980's the tree was severely infested by the longhorned beetles (Cerambycidae) severely infesting other Acacia species, but the ecological data are overlooked. Therefore, the objective of the study was to assess infestation characteristics and to determine environmental factors triggering the attack of longhorned beetles. A temporary random sampling technique was applied to observe the damage characteristics of the longhorned beetles on tree species during May-July 2007. Five sample plots occupies by A. seyal were taken in Kordofan region directly observed for the presence of hole of emergence of the longhorned beetles, presence of dusts, presence of insect stages, girdling as well as other characteristics of damage. The study results indicate that the infestation rate of trees in the sampled sites ranged between zero and 23.08%. Further ecological researches are recommended.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.60 no.11
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• pp.26.1-26.9
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• 2018

Background: This experiment aimed at assessing polyphenol-rich plant biomass to use in complete feed making for the feeding of ruminants. Methods: An in vitro ruminal evaluation of complete blocks (CFB) with (Acacia nilotica, Ziziphus nummularia leaves) and without (Vigna sinensis hay) polyphenol rich plant leaves was conducted by applying Menke's in vitro gas production (IVGP) technique. A total of six substrates, viz. three forages and three CFBs were subjected to in vitro ruminal fermentation in glass syringes to assess gas and methane production, substrate degradability, and rumen fermentation metabolites. Results: Total polyphenol content (g/Kg) was 163 in A. nilotica compared to 52.5 in Z. nummularia with a contrasting difference in tannin fractions, higher hydrolysable tannins (HT) in the former (140.1 vs 2.8) and higher condensed (CT) tannins in the later (28.3 vs 7.9). The potential gas production was lower with a higher lag phase (L) in CT containing Z. nummularia and the component feed block. A. nilotica alone and as a constituent of CFB produced higher total gas but with lower methane while the partitioning factor (PF) was higher in Z. nummularia and its CFB. Substrate digestibility (both DM and OM) was lower (P < 0.001) in Z. nummularia compared to other forages and CFBs. The fermentation metabolites showed a different pattern for forages and their CFBs. The forages showed higher TCA precipitable N and lower acetate: propionate ratio in Z. nummularia while the related trend was found in CFB with V. sinensis. Total volatile fatty acid concentration was higher (P < 0.001) in A. nilotica leaves than V. sinensis hay and Z. nummularia leaves. It has implication on widening the forage resources and providing opportunity to use forage biomass rich in polyphenolic constituents in judicious proportion for reducing methane and enhancing green livestock production. Conclusion: Above all, higher substrate degradability, propionate production, lower methanogenesis in CFB with A. nilotica leaves may be considered useful. Nevertheless, CFB with Z. nummularia also proved its usefulness with higher TCA precipitable N and PF. It has implication on widening the forage resources and providing opportunity to use polyphenol-rich forage biomass for reducing methane and enhancing green livestock production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1429-1437
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• 2003

Browse tree legume leaves from Acacia spp (A. nilotica, A. tortilis, A. polyacantha), Dichrostachys sp, Flagea villosa, Piliostigma thonningii, Harrisonia sp were evaluated for nutritive potential (chemical compositions and degradability characteristics) compared to Gliricidia sepium. Effect of tannins anti-nutritive activity on digestibility was also assessed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) tannin bioassay. Crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) differed (p<0.05) between legume foliages. Mean CP, ash, NDF, ADF and ADL for fodder species tested were 158, 92, 385, 145, and 100 g/kg DM, respectively. CP ranged from 115 (P. thonningii) to 205 g/kg DM (G. sepium). Acacia spp had moderate CP values (g/kg DM) of 144 (A. nilotica), to high CP in A. tortilis (188) and A. polyacantha (194) comparable to G. sepium. The forages had relatively lower fiber compositions. A. nilotica had (p<0.05) lowest NDF, ADF and ADL (182, 68 and 44) compared to P. thonningii (619, 196 and 130) g/kg DM, respectively. Except G. sepium, all fodder species had detectable high phenolic and tannin contents greater than 5% DM, an upper beneficial level in animal feeding and nutrition. Mean total phenolics (TP), total tannins (TT) and condensed tannins (CT) (or proanthocyanidins) for fodder species tested were 139, 113 and 43 mg/g DM, respectively. F. villosa had (p<0.05) lowest TP and TT of 65 and 56 mg/g DM, respectively, compared to A. nilotica (237 and 236 mg/g DM, respectively). The CT varied (p<0.05) from 6 (F. villosa) to 74 mg/g DM (Dichrostachys sp). In vitro organic matter (OM) degradability (OMD) differed (p<0.05) between fodder species. G. sepium had (p<0.05) high degradability potential compared to A. polyacantha that had (p<0.05) the lowest OMD values. Forage degradability ranked: G. sepium>A. nilotica>P. thonningi>F. villosa>Dichrostachys sp>A. tortilis>A. polyacantha. Addition of PEG resulted to (p<0.05) improvement in in vitro OM digestibility (IVD). Increase in IVD was mainly due to binding action of PEG on tannins; and represents potential nutritive values previously depressed by tannins anti-nutritive activity. Browse fodder has potential as sources of ruminal nitrogen especially for ruminants consuming low quality roughages due to high protein, lower fiber compositions and high potential digestibility. However, utilization of browse supplements in ruminants is hampered by high phenolic and tannin contents. Deactivation of tannin anti-nutritive activity, possibly by feeding tanniniferous browse with other readily available nitrogen sources to dilute tannin anti-nutritive activity could improve utilization of browse fodder supplements. Further studies are needed to assess browse fodder palatability and intake, and their effect on growth performance in ruminants.