Abstract
The present study was conducted to investigate the feasibility of Porphyra haitanensis (PH) as protein source for ruminants using in vitro gas test. The PH was inferior to soyabean meal in terms of gas production (GP) and rumen fermentation. When the soyabean meal in the mixed substrates was replaced by PH at levels of 20-100%, GP and volatile fatty acids decreased, while microbial protein yield was not reduced. Inclusion of PH at a level of 30% did not have adverse effect on rumen parameters. It is suggested that PH could be used as protein source to replace soyabean meal.
Highlights
Porphyra haitanensis (PH), a traditional edible red alga, occupies 80% of the cultivated algae in China
The gas production (GP) was determined for soyabean meal and PH In Trial 2, PH was included in low protein substrate (60% rice straw and 40% maize meal) and was exchanged for the mixed substrate included at 15 and 30% to evaluate the feasibility of high level of PH in ruminant diet
The GP values of the mixed substrates decreased with increasing levels of PH to soyabean meal
Summary
Porphyra haitanensis (PH), a traditional edible red alga, occupies 80% of the cultivated algae in China. Growing period of PH is about eight months normally, from September to the second year. As food for human being, the virtual period is one to two months, and less than four months even for the best variety (Wang, 2005). A large amount of PH produced is treated as waste every year. Shortage of feed grain is one of the main constraints for development of livestock production in China. Total amino acids content of dry PH is above 30% (Chen, 1999), and utilization of the wasted PH as protein source for livestock may be beneficial to both PH production and livestock industry
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