Juan Evangelista Carulla Fornaguera

Efecto de la edad de rebrote sobre el perfil de ácidos grasos en gramíneas tropicales

The effect of three regrowth ages (4, 8 and 12 weeks) on forage yield, nutritional quality and fatty acid profile were evaluated in herbaceous legumes: Clitoria ternatea, Pueraria phaseoloides, Canavalia brasiliensis, Centrosema molle, Centrosema macrocarpum, Alysicarpus vaginalis, y Lablab purpureus; in shrubby legumes: Cratylia argentea, Gliricidia sepium, Desmodium velutinum, Cajanus cajan, Leucaena leucocephala (Fabaceae); and in a non-leguminous shrub: Moringa oleifera (Moringaceae). A split-plot design with random blocks was used, in which the forage species was the main plot and the regrowth age the subplot. The main fatty acids found in the species were palmitic acid (C16:0), linolenic acid (C18:3) and linoleic acid (C18:2). However, the fatty acid concentration differed between herbaceous and shrubby legumes compared to non-leguminous species, and decreased with regrowth age in both groups. The herbaceous legumes evaluated had a higher C18:2/ C18:3 proportion than shrubby legumes, which could in turn result in a higher conjugated linoleic acid (cla) content in milk fat. The legume Cajanus cajan showed the highest (p<0.05) cla (C18:3) and cla precursors content in the three regrowth ages evaluated, suggesting that its use as bovine feed in dual-purpose systems can result in higher c9 t11 cla concentrations in milk fat compared to other species.The effect of three stages of maturity (three, six and nine weeks) on forage yield, nutritional quality and fatty acid profile were evaluated in pasture grasses (ten cultivars and one hybrid) and in cut and carry grasses (four cultivars). A replicated split plot design was used, in which the forage species was the main plot and the stage of maturity the subplot. The principal fatty acids present in the grasses were palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:2) and linolenic acid (C18:3). The fatty acid concentration