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The Ability of Polyethylene Glycol to Enhance the Digestion of Tropical Forage Legumes of Varying Tannin Content

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2017

A.C. Longland ,
M.K. Theodorou ,
S.J. Listerl ,
P. Morris  and
M. Gill
A.C. Longland
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB
M.K. Theodorou
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB
S.J. Listerl
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, Plas Gogerddan, Aberystwyth, Dyfed SY23 3EB
P. Morris
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Institute, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB
M. Gill
Affiliation:
Natural Resources Institute, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB
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Extract

Condensed tannins have been implicated in reducing the nutritive value of potentially important feedstuffs, largely through reducing protein and fibre digestion. Tannins can mediate their effects directly by binding to the protein or fibre fraction rendering them resistant to digestion, or indirectly by binding with digestive enzymes, preventing their catalytic action. These adverse effects of tannins, however, can be mitigated by the use of agents such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) which form complexes with condensed tannins rendering them less effective as protein and fibre-binding agents. In this study, the effects of polyethylene glycol on (a) the in vitro fermentability and (b) the digestibility of the fibre fraction (= non-starch polysaccharide; NSP) of leaves of six tropical forage legumes varying in condensed tannin content was investigated.

The species used, chosen for their varying tannin contents, were Sesbania goetzei (SG), S. seban (SS), Leucaena leucocephala (LL), Dioclea guianensis (DG) Calliandra sp. (C) and Tadehagi sp. (T23).

Type
Digestion and Rumen Metabolism
Information
Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) , Volume 1994 , March 1994 , pp. 76
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1994

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References

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