Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate six unconventional feed resources of Bangladesh, including water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), banana leaves (Musa paradisiaca), roadside grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), bamboo leaves (Bambusa vulgaris Scrad), Seaweed (Hypnea sp.) and sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum griffithii). Evaluations were based on dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), ash content, DM and OM digestibilities and fractional rate of degradation. Two conventional feeds, i.e., rice bran and german grass, were used as the positive control. Samples (400 mg) were incubated with rumen liquor in an in vitro fermentation chamber at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h for the degradation kinetic studies. The CP contents of 10.13, 10.63, 10.21, and 8.49 % were found in seaweed, banana leaf, water hyacinth, and bamboo leaf, respectively. The NDF values ranged between 16.5 and 75.6% and ADF varied from 9.7 to 58.8% in this study. The highest value of NDF (75.6%) and ADF (58.8%) were found in sugar cane bagasse and the lowest value of NDF (16.5%) and ADF (9.7%) were as observed in seaweed. However, higher DM degradation (33.5-42.8%) was found in seaweed during the incubation periods of 24-96 h. A significant (P < 0.05) increased of OM degradation (44.9%) compared to other feed resources was also observed in seaweed at 96 h of in vitro incubation. Water hyacinth, banana leaves, german grass, and sugarcane bagasse had greater DM digestibility (32.9-36.3%) compared to roadside grass, bamboo leaves, and rice bran (24.8-29.1%). The higher total OM digestibility of seaweed found (>44.9%) can be associated with the presence of large quantities of fraction b (>39.2 %), resulting in moderate amounts of undegradable fraction (U) (57.2 %). This study provides a comparative estimate of ruminal DM and OM degradation characteristics for seaweed and some other unconventional feed resources, which might be helpful for their inclusion in the diet according to the ruminally undegraded to degraded DM and OM intake ratio.