Abstract

NIEVES, Duilio et al. Nutrient Digestibility of Mulberry Foliage (Morus alba) in Fattening Rabbits. Rev. Cient. (Maracaibo) [online]. 2006, vol.16, n.4, pp.315-324. ISSN 0798-2259.

An experiment was carried out with 36 New Zealand x California growing rabbits, 975 ± 225 g weight live, to determinate the nutrient apparent digestibility in mulberry foliage (Morus alba), the substitution of the test ingredient in a basal diet and direct methods were used. The animals were distributed agreement with an experimental design completely randomized in 12 repetitions. The treatments were: T1 = basal diet, T2 = inclusion of 30% of mulberry foliage in the diet, and T3 = mulberry foliage. The experimental period lasted 11 days (4 of collection). The dry matter digestibility (64.85 ± 10.79, 62.55 ± 13.51 and 61.65 ± 10.83%), organic matter digestibility (65.75 ± 10.69, 64.19 ± 13.14 and 63.94 ± 10.41%), energy digestibility (64.61 ± 11.05, 62.26 ± 14.67 and 55.68 ± 12.82%), neutral detergent fiber digestibility (54.80 ± 14.09, 49.92 ± 17.15 and 58.96 ±11.05%) and acid detergent fiber digestibility (47.40 ± 8.71, 42.74 ± 8.70 and 48.68 ± 12.71%) for T1, T2 and T3, respectively, didn’t present differences (P > 0.05) among diets. The raw fiber digestibility was bigger (P < 0.05) in mulberry diet (43.32 ± 2.02, 41.99 ± 15.78 and 67.90 ± 8.14% for T1. T2 and T3) and the apparent crude protein digestibility was bigger (P < 0.05) in the basal diet (81.53 ± 5.82, 70.20 ±11.13 and 65.07b ± 9.47% for T1, T2 and T3). The estimate digestible energy (DE) content for mulberry foliage was 2328.60 ± 501.93 kcal/kg and the digestible protein (DP) was 136.7 ± 21.4 g/kg dry matter. The values determined for DE and DP were similar between methods. The mulberry foliage presented high nutritional value and can to constitute an excellent dietary ingredient for rabbits.

Keywords : Morus alba; nutrients digestibility; nutritional value; rabbits.