Studies on the digestibility of royal palm nut in Cuban Creole pigs

Sixteen pigs of two genotypes (CC21, improved and Cuban Creole) were used t o determine the nutritive value of sun-dried and ground royal palm nut meal (fruit of the royal palm, Roystonea regia, B.H.K. Cook). Consumption level was of 0.1 kg DM/kg metabolic weight (LW0.75) at a range of 45 to 60 kg an d a basal diet of soybean meal and wheat meal partially substituted by 20% royal palm nut (N 1.07, crude fiber 30.4, NDF 58.5, ether extract 23.1% in dry basis). No significant effect of interaction or genotype on organic mat ter digestibility and N were found. Creole pigs tended (P <0.10) to retain less N than those improved. A significant effect of genotype (P <less than> 0.01) was found in favour of Creole pigs on the digestibility of ether extr act. The effect of the diet was significant (P <0.001) on organic matter di gestibility and N. The organic matter digestibility and N of the royal palm nut calculated by difference was 58.5 and 25.0%. The value of digestible e nergy was 14.14 KJ/g DM for royal palm nut. It is suggested that royal palm nut showed better values as an energy source than as a protein source in d iets for pigs, probably through a high digestive utilization of ether extra ct.