Chemical Composition And In Situ Dry Matter Digestibility of Selected Multi Purpose Trees And Shrubs

Abstract

Five selecteti nntltipzlrpose trees aild sl~rztbs:A lloplzyl~isa fricarza, Macnraizgn bnrteri, Mass~rlarian czlnli~lntn,
Pnlisota llirsutn and Costus nfer were ralzdonrly collectedfio~nd ifj'ererzt locations iiz their natilual habitnts. Tlze
leaves zuereplucked, cut into 2crn pieces, bulked, mixed, dried ntzdgrouizd. The stenzs, eucll nieasiiring 60cm zocre
divided ilrto tltrec portions: top (0-20crn), niiddle (20-40cnr) aizd bottom (40-60crrz) segncellts, derinded nlzd treated
like tile leaves. Otle lzalfzoas used for proxirfcnte eoliipositio~al rid macro-~ninernla nnlyses wlzilst the other lznlfwas
lisedfor in sifu ihj inafter degrndntion ilefernlinatioll.
Tllc rtlrrges in values for CP, CF nslz nnd NFE of leaves of tlle MPTS zuere, respectively, 25.59-20.33%, 13.55-
18.60%,4.66-8.12% and 50.22-60.89%. Across all species, CP conte~ldt ecrenseiifronl tlie top to lozoer portions
of tllc stenifiaction whereas CF i~zcreased. Mznernl colztents iiz leaves ferrded to be lozoer tllniz tliose in thc barks of
sterirs. Nazoever, iriirzcral ileyosition iizcrcnsedfioin tlze apical to the lozoest portiolls of stenzs. Rzlnleiz dcgmdntzoil
lfter 4811 slccruled that thc leaves zuere rriore degraded (lJ<0.05) tlinlz tlle sfem segments. A. africana, C. afer arld P.
Iiirsuta zoere rrlore dcgmded (P<0.05) than M. bnrteri and M. accitrrzirzata. The reszrlfs sllggest tlznf tl~esrjvMe PTS
llnve good ~zi1tritior1apl otenfialsf or snzall rzinii~zalzpt rodtiction.