Azolla (Azolla microphylla) Supplementation Improves Nutrient Utilization in Lactating Murrah Buffaloes

Abstract

Balanced feeding of dairy animals is a costly affair in developing countries due to a lack of sufficient resources. A feeding cum digestion trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dried green Azolla (Azolla microphylla) incorporation in lactating Murrah buffalo’s diet. Multiparous Murrah buffaloes (n = 10) with an average of 30 d in milk and yielding 11.29 kg/d were distributed randomly into two equal groups. The control group of buffaloes was fed a concentrated mixture prepared with commonly available feed ingredients – including maize grain, wheat bran, cottonseed cake, groundnut cake, mustard cake, mineral mixture, and salt – whereas the concentrate mixture of the treatment group was prepared, including 10% of the dried Azolla, by keeping both the concentrate mixtures iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric. After 3 wk of preliminary feeding, a digestion trial was conducted for the assessment of nutrient utilization in two groups. Results indicated a positive response on the digestibility of dry matter (P < 0.05), organic matter (P < 0.05), neutral detergent fiber (P = 0.01), and acid detergent fiber (P = 0.015), whereas the digestibility of crude protein and ether extract remained unaffected (P > 0.05). Improvement in the digestibility of different nutrients without influencing the intake of nutrients indicated the importance of dried Azolla in the ration of lactating Murrah buffaloes.

Effect of (Azolla Pinnata) Meal Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, and Gut Histomorphology in Commercial Broilers

“…'s robust nutritional profile, suitable as a component in broiler feed rations, providing vital amino acids like leucine and alanine, as well as essential minerals such as iron, calcium, and magnesium. Rich in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid compounds (Mudgal et al, 2022;Lejeune et al, 2000), Azolla spp. Contains linolenic acid (9.8% to 37.95%) and linoleic acid (5.11% to 15.38%), surpassing some edible oils in linolenic acid content, showcasing its nutritional superiority (Lejeune et al, 2000).…”