Forage qualities of eucalyptus wood, saccharified by means of an hydrolytic treatment.

The forager qualities of the eucalyptus wood (Eucalyptus saligna) was studi ed. The chemical composition of this material was studied and it was found that the best regimen of hydrolysis was 160 degrees C - 80 min. Pre-hydroly sis treatment transformed the wood hemicellulose in mono and oligo sacchari des (13,9 %) and modified the rigid structure of the cellulose to obtain a saccharified wooden mass containing some mineral elements. This product can be used as supplement in the rations of ruminants owing to its high fiber content.