Degradability of dry matter and crude protein and rumen fermentation characteristics of Jatropha curcas kernel meal with different detoxification treatments

Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the degradability of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) of Jatropha curcas kernel meal with different detoxification treatments in the rumen. Moreover, the impacts of the Jatropha curcas kernel meal on rumen fermentation characteristics were also discussed. Jatropha curcas kernel meal adopted in current work was treated as: J. curcas kernel meal no treatment (JNT); J. curcas kernel meal extraction treatment (JET); J. curcas kernel meal heat treatment (JHT), and J. curcas kernel meal high pressure treatment (JPT). The in situ degradability of DM and CP of JHT was compared with those of soybean meal and rapeseed meal for cattle in Experiment I. The in vitro degradability and rumen fermentation characteristics of JNT, JET, JHT and JPT for wethers were investigated in Experiment II. Collectively, after treatments of JHT, JET and JPT, the phorbol ester (PE) content was decreased. In addition, the CP content was higher, of which the degradability was more than 90% after 72 h of in situ incubation. The Jatropha curcas kernel meal with different treatments had no negative effects on the rumen fermentation characteristics after in vitro incubation. It was concluded that Jatropha curcas kernel meal with detoxification treatments could be used as a potential protein feed.