COMPARISON OF WATER MELON (CITRULLUS VULGARIS)-SEED MEAL, ACACIA-TORTILIS PODS AND SUNFLOWER-SEED CAKE SUPPLEMENTS IN CENTRAL TANZANIA .1. NUTRITIVE-VALUE AND INFLUENCE ON THE RUMEN ENVIRONMENT
Cm. Shayo et al., COMPARISON OF WATER MELON (CITRULLUS VULGARIS)-SEED MEAL, ACACIA-TORTILIS PODS AND SUNFLOWER-SEED CAKE SUPPLEMENTS IN CENTRAL TANZANIA .1. NUTRITIVE-VALUE AND INFLUENCE ON THE RUMEN ENVIRONMENT, Tropical grasslands, 31(2), 1997, pp. 124-129
A study was made of the chemical composition and in vitro and in sacco
digestibility of water melon (Citrullus vulgaris) seeds, Acacia torti
lis pods and sunflower-seed cake and their effect on the rumen environ
ment of a steer fed a basal diet of Cenchrus ciliaris hay. Water melon
seeds contained 15.5-18.5% crude protein (CP) and 24% ether extract (
EE). Levels of soluble and condensed phenolics were negligible. CP lev
el of Acacia seeds (18.6%) was higher than that of the empty pods (9.3
%), the average CP content of the whole pod being 13.4%. Acacia seeds
and empty pods had similar levels (41%) of soluble phenolics, while th
e level of condensed tannins was higher in the seeds [15 absorbance at
550 nm/g of neutral detergent fibre (abs/g NDF)] than in the empty po
ds (7.78 abs/g NDF). Similarly, the Acacia seeds had higher in vitro o
rganic matter digestibility (86%) and total rumen degradable nutrients
(82%) than the empty pods (60% and 66%, respectively). Rumen NH3-N an
d pH levels were not affected by either water melon seed or Acacia pod
supplementation. The role of these supplements in cattle farming syst
ems in central Tanzania is discussed.