Abstract
Studies were carried out to determine the chemical composition of the leaf meal of Gongronema latifolia (Utasi), using organ histopathology of mixed breed grower rabbits as an in-vivo confirmatory reflector of its nutritional significance after a feeding trial. The proximate analysis of the leaf meal yielded 8.04%; 14.25%, 60.39%, 6.26%, 2.84% and 2.84% of moisture; crude protein, NFE, ash, ether extract and crude fibre respectively on dry matter bases and 2903.41Kcal/kg. In the mineral analysis, minerals detected were: Calcium (10.80mg/ 100g), Magnesium (45.00mg/ 100g), Potassium (486.00mg/ 100g), Sodium (3.86mg/ 100g), and Phosphorus (395.30mg/ 100g). The phytochemical screening of the leaf meal yielded 1.03, 0.37, 0.47, and 0.55g/100g of Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins and Tannin, respectively. Other phytochemicals found were Phenols (0.17mg/100g), Phytates (0.12mg/100g), and cyanogenic glycosides (7.07mg/100g). Analysis of the leaf meal protein detected 17 (seventeen) amino acids, comprising of both essential and non-essential amino acids, almost in the ratio of 1:1. In the feeding trial with rabbits, 4 experimental diets were formulated such that diet 1 (control) contained 0% Gongronema latifolia leaf meal (GLLM) while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 10%, 20% and 30% GLLM, respectively. Each diet was fed to a group of 9 grower rabbits for 49 days. All performance parameters (average initial body weight, average final body weight, average body weight gain, average daily feed intake, average daily body weight gain, and feed-to-gain ratio), were not significantly (P<0.05) affected by dietary treatments. There were no lesions of pathologic significance in the tissues (liver, kidney and pancreas) examined. The results of the in-vivo and in vivo investigations suggest that GLLM is not toxic, and is sufficiently nutritious to support rabbit production.
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