Search

The capabilities of rumen fluid (RF) from two indigenous Iranian goats (i.e., Markhoz, Alamout) to ferment tanniniferous (i.e., oak leaves) and non-tanniniferous (i.e., a mixture of lucerne hay and barley grain) feeds were studied. Five air dried samples from each of three oak species (i.e., Quercus persica, Quercus infectoria, and Quercus libani) were used to determine their chemical composition, phenolic compounds and protein precipitable phenolics (PPP). In three runs of in vitro gas production, the influence of non-tannin containing substrate incubated with either RF (i.e., Markhoz or Alamout) was assessed. Gas production (GP) was recorded from 1 to 96 h of incubation. Effects of tannins on in vitro gas production, in vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD) and estimated metabolisable energy (ME) were assessed by a polyethylene glycol (PEG) tannin bioassay. There were no differences in gas production and IVOMD for a non-tannin substrate incubated with RF from either breed of goat. However, RF from Markhoz goats produced consistently more gas than RF from Alamout goats among oak species. The PEG treatment improved (P

The nutritive value of three species of oak trees leaves was assessed by chemical analysis as well as by an in situ and in vitro gas production method. The chemical composition (g/kg DM basis) of three species, Quercus persica , Q. infectoria and Q. libani were 951, 927, 946 organic matter (OM); 115, 92, 123 crude protein (CP); 532, 540, 512 neutral detergent fiber (NDFom); 317, 300, 331 acid detergent fiber (ADFom); 98, 103, 95 lignin (lignin(sa)); 8.9, 11.7, 19.2 water soluble carbohydrates (WSC); 78, 115, 104 total phenols; 73, 109, 100 total tannins (TT); 14, 15, 12 condensed tannin (CT); and 46, 87, 62 hydrolysable tannin (HT). Protein precipitable phenolics (PPP) were respectively 160, 190 and 230 (g/kg total phenols). Effects of tannins on in vitro gas production, in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD), metabolisable energy (ME) and effective DM digestibility (ED) were assessed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) tannin bioassay. Among species, Q. Libani had the highest gas production. This species also had the highest (P in situ method the soluble component (A), insoluble but fermentable component (B), the degradation rate of B (c), the potential degradability (A + B) and the effective degradability (ED) of the oak leaves were influenced (P Quercus species suggests that these feeds have potential as small ruminant feeds.