Ileal apparent digestibility of amino acids in growing pigs given a cassava root meal diet with inclusion of cassava leaves, leucaena leaves and groundnut foliage

Ileal apparent digestibility of amino acids (AA) in a cassava root meal and soya-bean meal diet without and with an inclusion (150 g/kg) of sun-dried cassava leaves, ensiled cassava leaves, leucaena leaves and groudnut foliag e was studied in a change-over experiment (5 X 5) with post-valve T-caecum cannulated growing pigs. The ileal apparent digestibility of dietary crude protein (CP) and AA were unaffected by the inclusion of groundnut foliage (P > 0 05). In contrast, w hen sun-dried and ensiled cassava leaves, and leucaena leaves were included in the dirt the ileal apparent digestibility of dietary CP and AA were sig nificantly reduced (P < 0 05). The estimated ileal apparent digestibilities of essential and non-essential AA in groundnut foliage were higher (P < 00 5) than those of the other leaf products and there were no differences amon g cassava leaves and leucaena leaves (P > 0 05). On average ileal apparent digestibility of essential AA was 0.71 in groundnut meal and 0.56 in cassav a and leucaena leaves. It was concluded that, tinder tropical conditions, groundnut foliage has th e potential to improve the dietary protein and AA supply and to replace par tially soya-bean meal, in low fibre diets for growing pigs. Further, when c onventional protein-rich foods are not available, cassava and leucaena leav es may also have the potential to improve the protein and AA supply for pig s.