Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of silages containing pineapple pulp and coast-cross hay, with or without addition of urea, and the recovery of the markers chromium oxide (Cr2O3), indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), indigestible acid detergent fiber (iADF), and indigestible dry matter (iDM), in a digestibility assay, in sheep. Treatments were as follows: two levels of pineapple pulp (818 and 758 g kg−1) and two levels of urea (with and without urea), in a completely randomized design. Twelve sheep (three per treatment) were used, kept in metabolic cages. Fecal excreta were determined by total collection or estimated by using the markers. Marker samples were obtained in morning and afternoon collections, with mean concentrations obtained for both daily activities. The level of silage pulp did not affect intake, while addition of urea increased the intake of crude protein (CP), but did not influence the intakes of dry matter, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, or acid detergent fiber. The digestibility coefficients of all afore-mentioned fractions increased with the increase in pulp, the same happening with the addition of urea. The internal marker with lowest variability among the internal markers was iADF, with mean values near 100%. Mean recovery of Cr2O3 was approximately 107%, but with lower variability among treatments. Inclusion of pineapple pulp in silage does not influence intake, while addition of urea only increases the intake of CP. The levels of pineapple pulp in silage with or without urea increase the digestibility of the silage. Indigestible acid detergent fiber is the marker with lowest variability of recovery, with mean recovery for the four silages used very close to 100%.
Highlights
Brazil, China, and India are important pineappleproducing countries, where the crop has favorable soilclimatic conditions for its development (IBGE, 2012)
The objective of this study was to evaluate the intake and digestibility of silage containing two levels of pineapple pulp, with or without urea, and the recovery of external marker chromium oxide and indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF), indigestible acid detergent fiber (iADF), and indigestible dry matter (iDM) from fecal samples collected at different times
Pineapple pulp levels in the silages did not influence (P>0.05) the intakes of dry matter (DM), OM, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) of the sheep, expressed in kg day−1 or in g mbs−1, an upward trend in the intake values was observed for silages containing the lower level of pulp (Tables 1 and 2)
Summary
China, and India are important pineappleproducing countries, where the crop has favorable soilclimatic conditions for its development (IBGE, 2012). The Brazilian production of pineapple in 2011 was 3,028,781 t, with a total harvested area of 55,765 ha (AGRIANUAL, 2012), generating a considerable production of by-products. Among them is the pulp core, a residue from juice extraction, which, despite having a variable chemical composition due to fruit variety, maturity, quality of photosynthetic production (sugar content), and technology employed in the manufacturing of the preserves, has a high nutritional value, as it is mainly composed of soluble sugars, of which 70% are sucrose, 20% are glucose, and 10% are fructose. According to Azevêdo et al (2011), the chemical composition of the pineapple is: dry matter (DM), 139 g kg−1 as fed; crude protein (CP), 71 g kg−1 DM; neutral detergent fiber (NDF), 602 g kg−1 DM; and total digestible nutrients (TDN), 717.5 g kg−1 DM. The DM digestibility is 644.4 g kg−1; the NDF digestibility is 630 g kg−1; and CP digestibility is 725.9 g kg−1
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call