Effect of dietary fiber concentration on apparent digestibility and digesta passage in non-human primates. I. Ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata variegataandV. v. rubra)

Abstract

Two test diets with different fiber concentrations (15% acid detergent fiber [ADF], 30% ADF) were fed to five adult female ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata). Apparent digestibility (%) of dry matter (DM), gross energy (GE), and fiber components (neutral detergent fiber [NDF], ADF, hemicellulose [HC], and cellulose [C]) were measured. Rates of digesta transit (TT1) and retention time (RGIT) were assessed using acetate beads, Co-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and Cr-mordanted fiber. Apparent digestibilities (%) of components of the 15ADF and 30ADF diets, respectively, were 51.0 and 41.7 for DM, 47.0 and 39.7 for GE, and 20.4 and 20.7 for NDF. TT1 was approximately 2.7 hours. RGIT was 3.8 hours. No differences in TT1 or RGIT between dietary treatments or marker types were detected. Results of this study support anecdotal observations that Varecia variegata have a limited capacity to utilize plant cell wall constituents as a significant energy source, when compared with more folivorous prosimans. Zoo Biol 18:529–536, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.