• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.8
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2000

Productivity, nutrient contents, in vitro gas production and in sacco degradability of different fractions and whole OPF were determined to assess the feeding value of OPF as a ruminant feed. An in vivo digestibility trial was also carried out using goat. Freshly harvested OPF was randomly collected, partitioned and weighed. An OPF from 21 years older palm weighed 13.4 kg and the annual fresh matter yield of petiole, leaflet and midrib was 46.5, 11.8 and 3.4 ton/ha, respectively. Leaflet contained 439, 926, 698, 501, 168, 196, 748 and 52 (g/kg) of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), cellulose (CE), hemicellulose (HC), total carbohydrate (TC) and non fiber carbohydrate (NFC), respectively. Petiole contained lower (p<0.01) DM, CP and EE contents than leaflet. Organic matter, CE and TC contents were higher (p<0.01) in petiole compared to leaflet. Silica and lignin contents were highest (p<0.01) in midrib followed by leaflet, whole OPF and least in petiole. The Ca, P, Na, K and Mg contents (g/100 g DM) of leaflet were 0.529, 0.182, 0.039, 0.876, and 0.168, respectively. In vitro DM digestibility (g/100 g) at 48 h of leaflet, petiole and midrib was 32.7, 38.7 and 30.2, respectively. The in sacco DM degradation (g/100 g) at 48 h of leaflet was higher than that of whole OPF, petiole and midrib. The in vivo digestibility of DM, OM, CP and ADF of whole OPF was 52, 56, 43 and 26%, respectively. It can be concluded that leaflet is the most nutritious fraction of OPF and midrib is the least. The nutrient content and digestibility of the whole OPF showed that OPF could be an alternative roughage source for ruminant diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.225-231
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• 2009

The objective of this experiment was to study the effects of grass maturity at harvest on the nutritive value of grass silage (GS) in relation to voluntary intake, digestibility, nitrogen (N) utilization and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability. Silage was cut from a sward dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) at the late-vegetative (early-cut), internode elongation (mediumcut) and flowering (late-cut) stages of growth. The DM yield at harvest was the lowest for early-cut silage (5.4 t/ha) and increased to 6.5 and 7.0 t/ha for the medium and late-cut silage respectively. As the crop matured, the crude protein (CP) concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05) and there was a marked increase in acid detergent fiber (ADF) concentration (p<0.001). The three different silages were offered to four 18-month old Charolais wether sheep to measure the voluntary intake, in vivo digestibility and N retention over four 21-day periods in an incomplete changeover design. Silage degradability characteristics were determined using four fistulated sheep to measure DM degradability over 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. There was a linear decrease in the voluntary intake of silage fresh matter, DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), digestibility of DM, OM, NDF, ADF and CP, and digestibility of OM in DM (Dvalue) ($P_L<0.01$) as harvesting of grass was delayed. Nitrogen intake, N output in urine, N output in faeces and N balance also linearly decreased ($P_L<0.01$) with postponed harvesting of grass for silage. DM degradability and effective degradability (ED) significantly decreased with increasing maturity of grass at harvest. The results suggest that harvesting date has a significant influence on the nutritive value of GS in terms of intake, digestibility, N balance and in sacco degradability in the rumen. It was concluded that early harvest GS ensured higher intake, digestibility, N intake and DM degradability in comparison with the medium and the late cut GS as a result of improved rumen N efficiency and utilization probably due to a better balance of available energy and protein.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1233-1242
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• 2011

The in vivo digestibility of mulberry leaves (Morus alba) and the effects of the partial replacement of cotton seed with fresh mulberry leaf in rations on the performance of growing Vietnamese cattle was investigated. For the in vivo digestibility trial, twenty castrated rams of Phanrang breed (a local prolific breed) with an initial weight of 23-25 kg, were first assigned to four groups according to weight and then randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments to determine digestibility of nutrients in mulberry leaves (M. alba), natural Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum cv. TD 58). All forages were cut and chopped daily before being offered (at 120% maintenance) to the sheep. In the feeding trial, 20 Laisind (Vietnam yellow cows${\times}$Red Sindhy bulls) crossbred bulls averaged 18 month old and 184 kg were used to investigate the effect of partial replacement of cottonseed in the diet by mulberry leaves on live weight gain and feed conversion rate. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four levels of fresh mulberry leaves which varied from 0 to 15% of total dietary dry mater and five animals per treatment over an 84 day period. The in vivo digestion trial showed the superior quality of mulberry leaves compared with the grasses. Chemical analysis indicated that mulberry leaves had the highest CP and the lowest NDF contents (22.3 and 31.1% DM, respectively) among the four forages tested. Digestibility of DM and OM of the mulberry leaf (66.4 and 71.8%, respectively) was also the highest but that of CP (58.2%) and NDF (58.4%) was the lowest of the four forages evaluated (p<0.05). Consequently, the ME value and therefore net energy (NE) and unit feed for lactation (UFL) values of the mulberry leaves, which was estimated from chemical composition and digestibility values, were the highest among the forages investigated in the present study. Results of the feeding trial showed no treatment effect on average daily gain (ADG) of the cattle. The values were 554, 583, 565 and 568 g/d for animals in the diets of 0, 5, 10, and 15% mulberry leaves inclusion, respectively. Total DM intake of the animal was not affected by the treatment when expressed as kg/animal/d. However, when adjusted for metabolic weight of the animal the DM intake was reduced (p<0.05) as whole cottonseed was replaced by mulberry leaves in the ration. When the level of mulberry leaves in the ration increased from 5 to 15% of dietary DM at the expense of whole cottonseed, CP and ME intakes of the cattle were significantly decreased (p<0.05) and the feed to gain ratio reduced by 8 to 14% as compared with the control diet (p<0.05). Mulberry leaf is a good feed ingredient for ruminants because of its high level of crude protein and high digestibility of nutrients and energy. Mulberry leaves can be efficiently used as a source of protein supplement to replace cottonseed, a more expensive animal feeds ingredient, in the diet for Vietnamese cattle.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.10-15
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• 1996

To determine the quality of heated protein, in vitro method, invluding lysine, lysionalanine, and fructose-lysine as well as homoarginine by guanidination of lysine, was assessed using heated casein with of without glucose. In vivo methods such as PER, digestibility and BV were also tried on homoarginine, lysinoalanine, fructoselysine, and lysine. The nonreactive lysine for huanidination was hardly digestive, while the non heat damaged lysine side chanis in the protein were accessible for guanidination as well as for the digestion. A linear correlation(${\gamma}$=0.80) was obstained between PER and digestibility of the analysed lysine. Digestibility of homoarginine was higher that of true protein. However, in the guanidinated heated casein with glucose, digestibility of homoarginine was significantly reduced. It is suggested that the homoarginine method may mislead to over- or underestimation of the damaged protein quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.464-469
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• 2000

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of soybean meal (SBM) as a source of protein and sago meal (SM) as a source of carbohydrate on in situ and in vivo digestibility of dietary components in four male goats (Kambing Katjang) and four male sheep (Malin) weighing 25-35 kg. Rumen volume, as well as rumen fluid dilution rate were also determined. The animals were housed in single pens with individual feeding and drinking troughs and each animal was fitted with a rumen fistula. They were fed two diets : chopped rice straw+200 g soybean meal (SBM), and chopped rice straw+190 g soybean meal+300 g sago meal (SBM+SM). Rice straw was offered ad libitum. The supplements were isonitrogenous (80 g crude protein/animal/d), but the proportions of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude fibre (CF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were lower in the SBM supplement (191, 165, 11, 40, 15 g/animal/d for DM, OM, CF, NDF and ADF, respectively) than in the SBM+SM supplement (445, 423, 25, 102, 38 g/animal/d for DM, OM, CF, NDF and ADF, respectively). Two animals from each species were fed either supplement in a cross-over design in two periods. Each period lasted for four weeks. In situ and in vivo digestibility studies were carried out, followed by the determination of rumen volume and rumen fluid dilution rate. The results showed that straw DM and total DM intakes of goats (average of $48.7g/kg\;W^{0.75}$, $72.7g/kg\;W^{0.75}$, respectively) were significantly (p<0.01) higher than sheep (average of $3.56g/kg\;W^{0.75}$, $61.6g/kg\;W^{0.75}$, respectively), but OM, N and GE intakes were not significantly different between the two animal species. When the effect of supplements was compared, animals fed SBM+SM supplement had significantly (p<0.001) higher DM, OM and GE intakes than animals fed SBM supplement. Potential degradabilities of rice straw DM were significantly (p<0.01) higher in goats (average of 48.8%) than in sheep (average of 46.1 %). The supplements had no significant effect on the potential degradabilities of DM, OM and NDF, but they had a significant (p<0.05) effect on the degradation rates of DM and NDF. The addition of sago meal in the diet reduced the degradation rates of DM and NDF of rice straw in the rumen. Potential degradability of DM of soybean meal was not significantly different between animal species as well as between supplements. Sago meal was highly degradable. At 24 h of incubation in the rumen, 90-95% of DM loss was observed. There was a significant interaction between animal species and supplements in the in vivo digestibility of ADF and GE. In animals fed SBM supplement, the in vivo digestibility of ADF was significantly (p<0.05) higher in goats ($50.6{\pm}4.22%$) than in sheep ($44.4{\pm}3.21%$), but digestibility of GE was significantly (p<0.05) higher in sheep ($70.2{\pm}1.93%$) than in goats ($63.0{\pm}3.07%$). The digestibility values of CP and OM were significantly (p<0.05) higher in sheep when compared to goats. Animals fed SBM+SM supplement showed significantly (p<0.05) higher DM and OM digestibility values than animals fed SBM supplement, but digestibility values of CP were significantly (p<0.05) higher in animals fed SBM supplement. Differences in in vivo digestibility values of CF and NDF were not significantly different between animal species or supplements. Water intake, rumen volume ($1/kg\;W^{0.75}$), rumen fluid dilution rate and mean retention time were similar between the two animal species. However, rumen fluid dilution rate and mean retention time was significantly (p<0.01) affected by supplements. Animals fed SBM+SM had faster rumen fluid dilution rate and consequently shorter mean retention time.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.1149-1156
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• 2001

Previous studies conducted with swine have reported that the mobile nylon bag technique (MNBT) does not always accurately predict in vivo nutrient digestibilities. Therefore, in this study, the MNBT was modified so that nutrient digestibilities would more closely resemble those from conventional (Con) digestibility studies obtained using the indicator method. A total of 19 feeds were tested including five cereal grains, five legumes, three high protein sources and six mixed diets. The principle changes to the MNBT included the use of a fecal collection harness which minimized the number of bags lost. In addition, previous protocols involved pooling of bags within pig while in the present experiment all bags were analyzed separately to increase the precision of the test. Finally, chemical analyses were done using the entire nylon bag plus residue rather than opening.the bags and scraping out the contents. With the exception of the barley sample (p=0.01), dry matter digestibility (DMD) coefficients obtained with the MNBT were not significantly different from those obtained with the indicator method. The linear regression equation relating the MNBT to the indicator method was Con DMD=-O.77+1.02 MNBT DMD ($r^2=0.93$: p<0.0001). There was no significant (p>0.05) difference in gross energy digestibility (GED) coefficients determined using the MNBT or the indicator method for any of the 19 feeds. The regression line equation relating the MNBT to the indicator method was Con GED=-5.68+1.06 MNBT GED ($r^2=0.94$: p<0.0001). The MNBT was less effective in predicting in vivo crude protein digestibility (CPD) than it was in predicting dry matter and energy digestibility. Differences greater than five percentage units were observed for two of the legumes, Kabuli chickpeas (p=0.02) and the extruded pea-canola seed mixture (p=0.01) as well as for three of the mixed diets including the unheated hulled barley-based diet (p=0.01), the unheated hulless-barley based diet (p=0.08) and the barley-soybean meal based diet (p=0.008). The regression equation relating the MNBT to the indicator method was Con CPD=5.75 + 0.90 MNBT CPO ($r^2=0.76$; p<0.0001). This study indicates that the modified MNBT can be used for the rapid determination of dry matter and energy digestibility in a wide variety of ingredients. For the measurement of crude protein digestibility, the technique produces results similar to conventional digestibility studies for cereal grains and high protein feeds but tends to overestimate protein digestibility for legumes and mixed diets.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.81-90
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• 2004

Farmers need timely information on the nutritional status of their animals and the nutritive value of pastures and supplementary feeds if they are to apply successfully this existing nutritional information. Near infrared reflectance(NIR) spectroscopy has been used over the last forty years to analyse accurately protein, fiber, and other organic components in animal foods. NIR spectroscopy is a rapid, non-destructive, and non-polluting technology. When properly calibrated, NIR spectroscopy is used successfully with both concentrate and forage feeds. NIR methods predict in vitro digestibility accurately and precisely, and can predict in vivo digestibility at least as well as conventional "wet chemistry" methods such as in vivo digestion or the pepsin-cellulase method, and much more rapidly. NIR technology has been applied to the routine monitoring (through analysis of feces samples) of the nutritional status of cattle and other grazing animals. This report reviews the use of near infrared reflectance(NIR) spectroscopy to monitor the nutritive value of animal feeds and the nutritional status of grazing animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.5
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• pp.495-502
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• 1996

Much recent research on protein and amino acid (AA) digestive physiology of pigs has been concerned with measurement of the ileal apparent and true digestion and absorption. For measurement of the ileal apparent digestibility of AA, the steered ileo-caecal valve cannulation (SICV) and the ileo-rectal anastomosis (IRA) techniques appear to be the more reliable and simple methods, when compared with any methods requiring use of a marker for calculation of digestibility, or with the complex techniques of ileo-caecal re-entrant cannula (ICRC) and the postvalve ileo-colic re-entrant cannula (IPVC). On the other hand, the peptide alimentation ultrafiltration methods might be a better choice for measurement of the ileal endogenous nitrogen (N) and AA flow in a routine feedstuff analysis, although the classical method of $^{15}N-isotope$ dilution method is still a standard method for N and AA nutrition research in pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.238-247
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• 2023

Objective: Recently, indigenous Korean grass Sasa quelpaertensis Nakai (SQ) has garnered much interest as a roughage source for livestock to mitigate its adverse effects on habitat diversity. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the ruminal fermentation, palatability, and nutrient digestibility of SQ for Korean native beef cattle (Hanwoo) using in vitro rumen fermentation, in situ rumen degradability, and in vivo feeding trials. Methods: Using in vitro tests with rumen fluid as the inoculum for 48 h, ruminal fermentation of SQ was evaluated and compared with that of other roughage sources commonly used in Korea (i.e., rice straw, Timothy hay, and Italian ryegrass [IRG]). Additionally, an in situ trial 96 h was performed using three cannulated Hanwoo steers. Further, an in vivo trial was performed using eight Hanwoo steers to compare the palatability of SQ with rice straw in total mixed ration (TMR) and forage-concentrate separate feeding conditions. Finally, an in vivo digestibility trial of SQ fed as TMR of two particle sizes was performed with four Hanwoo steers. Results: In vitro and in situ trials revealed that SQ was comparable or superior to rice straw in terms of the ruminal fermentation characteristics of pH, gas production, total volatile fatty acid content, and effective ruminal dry matter digestibility (DMD), although its fermentability was lower than that of Timothy hay and IRG. In the palatability test, steers showed a greater preference for SQ when given as TMR. The total tract DMD of SQ fed as TMR was 75.9%±1.37%, and it did not differ by particle size. Conclusion: The feed value of SQ as a roughage source for Hanwoo steers is comparable or superior to that of rice straw, particularly when provided as TMR.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.12
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• pp.1681-1688
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• 2004

Soaked and pasteurised wheat straw was inoculated with five species of Pleurotus fungi (coded P-21, P-30, P-41, P-60 and P-90), packed in polyethylene bags and incubated in a fermentation chamber for 21 days. The chemical composition, in vitro digestibility and in sacco degradability of the treated and untreated straw were estimated using a complete randomised design consisting of six treatments and four replicates. In a feeding trial, in vivo digestibility and voluntary intake were determined in bulls, using a $3{\times}3$change over design. Dietary treatments were: 1) untreated wheat straw (UWS) as control; 2) fungal treated (P-41) wheat straw before mushroom formation (FTWS); 3) spent wheat straw (SPWS) after mushrooms were harvested. Apart from P-90, fungal treatment significantly (p<0.05) increased the crude protein (CP) and reduced the cell wall components of the straw. The in vitro dry mater and organic mater digestibility significantly (p<0.05) increased in the treated straw particularly with the treatments of P-41 and P-60. The in situ degradability and in vivo digestibility of DM and OM were significantly (p<0.05) increased in treated straws with the highest values observed for treatment P-41. The intake of DM, OM and digestible organic mater (DOM) were significantly (p<0.05) increased in cows fed FTWS.