Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
Odeyinka, S.M., Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria; Hector, B.L., The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom; Ørskov, E.R., The Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, United Kingdom
The nutritive value of twelve Scottish plants (trees, legumes and grasses): 1. Pinus sylvestris L., 2. Lolium perenne L., 3. Calluna vulgaris L., 4. Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr; 5. Chamaenerion angustifolium (L) Scop., 6. Luzula sylvatica, 7. Pseudotsuga menziesii F. Mirb., 8. Fagus sylvatica L., 9. Vaccinum myrtillus L., 10. Brassica oleracea, 11. Acer pseudoplatanus L., 12. Juncus effusus L. were determined using in vitro gas production, in sacco DM degradability and in vivo digestibility. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was used in the gas production to determine presence of phenolic related antinutritive factor. Species had significant effect on in vitro gas production (P<0.001). B. oleracea produced significantly highest volume of gas while V. myrtillus produced the lowest volume of gas though no significant difference between it and that of P. sitchensis. There was significant increase in gas production with the addition of PEG (P<0.001) except in L. perenne and A. pseudoplatanus where the increase was not significant. Species had significant effect on DM degradability (P<0.001). B. oleracea had the highest % DM degradability and F. sylvatica the least. There were no significant differences in DM degradability of C. angustifolium; L. perenne and B. oleracea at the 96hr. F. sylvatica and C. vulgaris were the least degraded. Species had significant effect on dry matter (DM) digestibility in vivo. As with in sacco digestibility, B. oleracea had the highest in vivo digestibility while P. sitchensis and F. sylvatica were the least digested. The results suggest that B. oleracea, C. angustifolium, L. perenne, P. menziesii, J. effusus, L. sylvatica and A. pseudoplatanus from Scotland are more than 70% degradable and are useful as animal feeds. © EuroJournals Publishing, Inc. 2006.