Abstract
Tannin levels as total phenols (TP), condensed tannins (CT) and protein precipitation capacity (PPC), in sacco dry matter digestibility (DMD) and cell-wall constituents were determined in leaves of Quercus incana stored under various conditions in sealed polythene bags. The rate and extent of both TP and CT inactivation were highest at 37°C, followed by 50°C and room temperature, on storage of whole fresh leaves containing 40% moisture. Storage of fresh leaves at 37°C after chopping increased these values. Increase of moisture to 55% at 37°C increased the rate and extent of tannin inactivation. The changes in PPC were similar to those for TP or CT. The relative degree of polymerisation increased two-fold on storage of leaves up to 45 days. In the second experiment, on ureaammonia induced inactivation of tannins in whole fresh leaves (moisture 55%, 30°C), the reduction in TP, CT and PPC increased as the level of urea increased. At 4% urea, the reduction in TP and CT was 88% and 100%, respectively, on Day 10. The level of neutral and acid detergent fibres and lignin increased gradually from Day 5 to Day 30 of storage in the absence of urea, whereas these changes were marked up to Day 5 and did not change appreciably from Day 5 to Day 30 in the presence of urea. The DMD decreased as storage time increased from Day 5 to Day 30. In the third experiment, whole fresh leaves with a moisture content of 55% and 4% urea were kept at room temperature and 30°C for 1–5 days only. The rate and extent of tannin reduction was lower at room temperature than at 30°C. The decreases in the values of TP, CT and PPC were 55%, 77% and 65%, respectively, at Day 1, and 72%, 89% and 83%, respectively, at Day 5, on storage at 30°C. The DMD did not change on storage up to Day 5. The results suggest that storage of oak leaves in the presence of 4% urea and high moisture could become a field method for inactivation of oak tannins.
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