Abstract
An investigation into the proximate composition, mineral composition and the mineral safety index of heart, skin, muscle, lungs, tongue, kidney, spleen, brain, liver and eyes of African giant pouch rat was carried out using standard methods, calculations of metabolizable energy, percentage energy contribution due to: protein, fat and carbohydrate; utilizable energy due to protein; Ca/P, Na/K, [K/(Ca+Mg)], Ca/Mg ratios and mineral safety index. In the proximate composition, the followings were discovered: samples were good in muscle (ash), kidney (protein), muscle (crude fat), skin (carbohydrate) and also contributed the highest energy. Highest level of proportion of energy due to protein (PEP %) came from the kidney, highest level of energy due to fat (PEF %) came from muscle whilst highest energy contribution due to carbohydrate (PEC %) came from the skin. The utilizable energy due to protein (UEDP %) assuming 60% utilisation had the highest level in the kidney. In the mineral composition muscle was good in Na; muscle was best in K; kidney was highest in Ca; tongue was rich in Mg; spleen was high in zinc; liver was high in Fe; muscle was rich in Mn; kidney was rich in P; muscle was good in Ca/P; skin was best in Na/K; spleen was best in [K/(Ca+Mg)] and spleen was best in Ca/Mg. In the mineral safety index (MSI) values: Zn with MSI of 33 was lower than heart, spleen and in Fe with MSI of 6.7 was lower than heart, muscle, lungs, brain, liver and eyes. The following parameters were significantly different at α = 0.05 among the samples: crude protein, carbohydrate, PEP %, PEF %, PEC %, UEDP %, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe and P. This report will give nutritional information on the various organs analysed.
Highlights
The giant rat Cricetomys gambianus (Okete) is a common rodent found around buildings and gardens in many parts of Nigeria
Cricetomys gambianus matured female samples were caught in the wild by a local hunter commissioned for the purpose at Iworoko Ekiti, Nigeria; identified, immersed in hot water (10 min), hair removed and the animals dissected
Were not significantly different in the ash, moisture, fat and total energy whereas the following parameters were significantly different at α = 0.05: crude protein, carbohydrate, PEP %, PEF %, PEC % and UEDP %
Summary
The giant rat Cricetomys gambianus (Okete) is a common rodent found around buildings and gardens in many parts of Nigeria. It digs long deep burrows with several entrances and stores food there. It eats roots, bulbs, young shoots and fruits. The female and young are communal and live in burrows. Each community consists of about thirty individuals; male giant rats live apart by themselves. Nests prepared from vegetable matter occur in the terminal chamber of the burrow [1]
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