The in vitro digestion of neutral detergent fibre and other ruminal fermentation parameters of some fibrous feedstuffs in Damascus goat (Capra aegagrus hircus).

Abstract

Nowadays, global warming negatively influences the production of quality forages especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The eastern Mediterranean Levant region has observed the worst drought for about 900 years (IPCC, 2014). Researchers reported that global warming has caused changes in climate that result in turning semi-humid and semiarid areas into arid areas (Altın et al., 2012). In arid or semi-arid lands, plants turn yellow-brown at the end of the summer and the plant flora of these lands has started to change to steppe or desert-like steppe. Therefore grazing herbivores in arid or semi-arid lands cannot gain required energy and nutrients. In addition, soil types such as sandy and salty constitute also the serious problem to solve (Tuteja, 2007). Therefore, animal nutritionists have been seeking ABSTRACT. The study aimed to compare in vitro gas and methane production and ruminal fermentation patterns of lucerne hay (Medicago sativa L.), sugar beet pulp (Beta vulgaris L.), maize silage (Zea mays L.), plantago hay (Plantago lanceolata L.), ajuga hay (Ajuga bombycina L.), guelder-rose leaf (Viburnum opulus L.), tomato pomace (Solanum lycopersicum L.), Jerusalem artichoke hay (Helianthus tuberosus) and pomegranate peel (Punica granatum L.) in rumen fluid of Damascus goats. Ruminal fermentation parameters such as kinetics, gas production, organic matter digestibility-gas (OMdgas), true-dry matter digestibility (T-DMd), true-organic matter digestibility (T-OMd), true-neutral detergent fibre digestibility (T-NDFd), partitioning factor (PF24) and gas yield (GY24) and metabolizable energy (ME) were determined. The highest gas production from insoluble fraction (bgas) and potential gas production (a+b)gas were in tomato pomace (P < 0.001). The (bgas) and (a+b)gas values of plantago, ajuga and Jerusalem artichoke hays were higher than those of lucerne hay (P < 0.001). The T-DMd, T-OMd, T-NDFd, OMdgas, ME and methane values of tomato pomace and sugar beet pulp were the highest in tested forages (P < 0.01). The highest acetic acid concentration in fermentation fluid was in Jerusalem artichoke hay and maize silage; the molarities of volatile fatty acids in fermentation fluids were ranged from 91.84 to 104.21 (P < 0.001). It can be concluded that tomato pomace and sugar beet pulp have the digestive potential in the goat rumen, although they promote high methane production. Moreover, hays of plantago, ajuga and Jerusalem artichoke as well as pomegranate peels may be used as alternative forages to common fibrous feedstuffs like lucerne hay in goat nutrition. Received: 11 October 2018 Revised: 14 January 2019 Accepted: 30 May 2019