Ruminal degradability of agro-industrial fruit residues

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition and ruminal degradability of the dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) of fruit residues. Three fistulated sheep were held collectively in a pen, and fed daily with the studied residues in a diet consisting of canarana grass (Echinochloa pyramidalis) and a concentrate of corn and soybeans. The animals were allowed an adjustment period of seven days. The residues were dried in the sun, crushed in a forage machine, sorted using a 4.0-mm sieve, and incubated for 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h using nonwoven bags (weight 60g/m2, 14 ×12 cm²). Chemical analyses of the residues were performed using a randomized block experimental design with split plots. The cherimoya and tamarind residues showed the highest concentrations of CP (12.66% and 11.79%) the ether extract of cherimoya residue was the highest at 22.30%stands out the sour soup residue. The cashew and guava residues showed the highest levels of lignin (22.13 and 18.34%). The effective degradability of DM for the pineapple and tamarind residues to a passage rate of 5%/h were 53.04% and 42.61%, respectively. The guava, cherimoya, and cashew residues showed lower values at 19.16%, 26.86%, and 29.21%, respectively. The cherimoya, guava and pineapple residues showed the highest values of potential degradability for CP at 87%, 81%, 86.02% and 90.94%, respectively, with an average effective degradability of 50.0% at the rate of 5%/h. The pineapple (35.38%) and tamarind residues (34.49%) showed higher values of the effective degradability of NDF at a passage rate of 5%/h. Among the studied residues, the pineapple residue showed the greatest potential for use in animal feed based on chemical composition and rates of degradability.