Fractionation of carbohydrate and protein content of some forage feeds of ruminants for nutritive evaluation

Abstract

Aim:To evaluate some forage feeds of ruminants in terms of their carbohydrate (CHO) and protein fractions using Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS).Materials and Methods:Eleven ruminant feeds (six green fodders - maize, oat, sorghum, bajra, cowpea, berseem and five range herbages - para grass, guinea grass, hedge lucerne, setaria grass and hybrid napier) were selected for this study. Each feed was chemically analyzed for proximate principles (dry matter, crude protein [CP], ether extract, organic matter and ash), fiber fractions (neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose), primary CHO fractions (CHO, non-structural CHO, structural CHO and starch) and primary protein fractions (neutral detergent insoluble CP, acid detergent insoluble CP, non-protein nitrogen and soluble protein). The results were fitted to the equations of CNCPS to arrive at various CHO (CA - fast degrading, CB1 - intermediate degrading, CB2 - slow degrading and CC - non-degrading or unavailable) and protein (PA - instantaneously degrading, PB1 - fast degrading, PB2 - intermediate degrading, PB3 - slow degrading and PC - non-degrading or unavailable) fractions of test feeds.Results:Among green fodders, cowpea and berseem had higher CA content while except hedge lucerne all range herbages had lower CA values. CB1 content of all feeds was low but similar. All feeds except cowpea, berseem, and hedge lucerne contained higher CB2 values. Oat among green fodders and hybrid napier among range herbages had lower CC fraction. Feeds such as bajra, cowpea, berseem and the setaria grass contained lower PA fraction. All green fodders had higher PB1 content except maize and cowpea while all range herbages had lower PB1 values except hedge lucerne. Para grass and hybrid napier contained exceptionally low PB2 fraction among all feeds. Low PC contents were reported in oat and berseem fodders.Conclusion:Based on our findings, it was concluded that feeds with similar CP and CHO content varied significantly with respect to their CHO and protein fractions. Due to lower CC fraction, oat and hybrid napier were superior feeds in terms of CHO supply to ruminants. Similarly, among all feeds oat and berseem had a lower PC fraction, thus were considered good sources of protein for ruminants.

Exploring lignocellulosic biomass for bio-methane potential by anaerobic digestion and its economic feasibility

“…In proximate analysis, VS is more important because only VS fractions are digestible and found in the rage of 61.23 to 70.33% with the order of SB>WS>MS>CC>AS and these results supported by previous study. These results of proximate and ultimate analysis are in line and supported by literature, 16,17 however, few variation was observed in literature might be because of biomass growth parameters variations like growing and environmental (soil, plant maturity stage and seasonal difference) conditions as reported variation parameters in literature. 18 These ultimate data are used for balancing C/N ratio and help in predicting BMP CHNO .…”

Effects of tropical legume silages on intake, digestibility and performance in large and small ruminants: A review

“…Among the studies included in the present analysis, none reported details on protein fractions, but previous studies reported higher fibre‐bound N in cowpea and alfalfa forage compared with maize and sorghum forage (e.g. Chrenková et al., ; Das, Kundu, Kumar, & Datt, ), although others found no differences between alfalfa and maize silages (Brito & Broderick, ). Besides the dissimilarities in protein fractions between forages, fibre‐bound N is known to increase in response to heating such as during ensiling (Weiss & Conrad, ).…”

Determination of Cell Wall Protein from Selected Feedstuffs and its Relationship with Ruminal Protein Digestibility in Vitro

“…Van Soest et al (1991) have introduced the analysis of plant cell wall by using neutral detergent and acid detergent solutions to generate neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF), respectively. The residual part of the analysis can be subsequently continued with nitrogen determination to produce a neutral detergent insoluble crude protein (NDICP) and an acid detergent insoluble crude protein (ADICP) (Licitra et al, 1996;Das et al, 2015). Apart from their native presences in plant cell wall, NDICP and ADICP contents are higher in the feed materials dried at high temperatures due to caramelization and browning reactions; the non-enzymatic browning or Maillard reaction causes the condensation of carbohydrate degradation products with protein to form dark-coloured and insoluble polymers (Pelletier et al, 2010;Khan et al, 2015).…”