Livestock Research for Rural Development 23 (8) 2011 Notes to Authors LRRD Newsletter

Citation of this paper

Evaluation of mineral adequacy of natural browse species and concentrate ingredients for goats

Somu B N Rao, Vanama Radhika*, Nawab Singh and Tapas K Dutta

Nutrition, Feed Resources and Products Technology Division
Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Farah (PO), 281 122
Mathura District, Uttar Pradesh, India
National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology,
Adugodi, Bangalore – 560 030, Karnataka, India
sbnrao@gmail.com
* Division of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore - 560089

Abstract

Present study was conducted to estimate the mineral contents of few novel feedstuffs for goats and to find out the mineral adequacy/deficiency in browing/grazing situations under rural conditions.   Seventeen leaf samples from trees  and bushes were collected in two different periods of the year. The Ca and Fe contents were   lower in summer leaves where as P and Cu was   higher in summer leaves compared to winter leaves. Seventeen samples of tree leaves and bushes, seven samples of roughages and seventeen samples of concentrate ingredients were analyzed for macro (Ca, P, Mg) and micro  (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) minerals. Statistical analysis between different categories of feed ingredients revealed that the Ca and Mg contents (%) were   higher in tree leaves compared to roughages and concentrates where as contents of P (%) and Zn (ppm) was  (P < 0.01) higher in concentrates. A model calculation suggested the deficiency of P, Zn, Cu and Mn in sole leucaena and neem leaf based diets whereas deficiency of P and Mn in sole buffel grass diets for goats. 

Key words: browse, minerals, tree leaves


Introduction

Ruminants fed low quality forages require supplementation with critically deficient nutrients to optimize productivity. The concentration of nutritional research effort on diagnosis and correction of mineral deficiencies is highly commendable particularly where livestock on high quality feeds are not producing to expectation. However, this policy is much less relevant when, because of an imbalanced feed animals are at subsistence, or at only moderate levels of pro­duction.  Com­pounded mineral supplements are relatively expen­sive, often not available in small quantities, they are often out of the reach of smallholder farmers, or are difficult for them to obtain. In this scenario, a best strategy would to  use local and natural sources of minerals as a means of economising on the need to purchase proprietary min­eral mixtures (Preston and Leng 1987). The mineral content in soil keeps changing due to pressure on land for maximum crop production, fertilizer application, rain and natural calamities, which may alter their contents in feeds and fodders thereby affecting the mineral status of animals (Underwood and Suttle 1999). Certain minerals are essential in the diets of animals and influence livestock production (Kincaid 1988). The first step in assessing the mineral status of animals is to find out the mineral adequacy of diet, which can form base line for mineral supplementations (Samokhin 1982). Dietary deficiencies and imbalances of these minerals can result in poor growth, failure of reproduction, wasting diseases, skin disorders, non-infectious diseases, , non-infectious abortions, anemia, bone abnormalities, tetany and many other disorders (Underwood 1981).  Present study is conducted with a view to find out mineral status of tree leaves, roughages, concentrate ingredients to determine the mineral adequacy of the diet for goats. The information thus generated will be useful in formulating mineral mixtures for goats.


Materials and methods

Collection of samples

Seventeen tree and bush leaves namely Indian gum arabic  (Acacia nilotica), Indian tree of Heaven (Ailanthus excelsa), Sacred Fig (Ficus religosa), West African Sickle Bush (Dichrostachys nutans), subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), Cluster Fig (Ficus glomerata), Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce, neem (Azadirachta indica), Morus alba L, Indian jujube (Zizyphus mauritiana),Ficus bengalensis L., Balarites aegyptica L., Alzebia lebbek (L.) Bentham, Pithocellobium dulce (Roxb) Benth, Tooth Brush tree (Salvodora perisica), Capparis horrida,  Chlorodendron phlemides L. were collected in two times. First sampling was done in  month of January (representing Winter) and second sampling was done in the month of June (representing Summer). Roughage samples like buffel grass (Cenchrus celiaris), Desmostachys bipinnata (L.) Staph, Cynodon doctylon, blue panic (Panicum antidotale) grass, Pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoideum) fodder in two stages and Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) straw were collected from the institute premises. Few concentrate ingredients such as Indian mustard (Brassica nigra) cake (with oil and de-oiled), de-oiled sunflower (Helianthus annus) cake, de-oiled soybean (Glycine max) cake, Cluster Bean (Cyamopsis tetragonaloba) meal, malt sprouts, rice (Oryza sativa) polish and de-oiled rice bran, jowar (Sorghum vulgare) grain, Pearl millet grain, maize (Zea mays) grain, barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain, Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) husk, Redgram (Cajanus cajan) husk, , Flax (Linum usitatisimum) seed cake,  Sesame (Sesamum indicum) cake   and commercial pelleted feed were collected from local markets.  

Processing of the samples

All the samples are initially dried in the hot air oven 100°C and ground to pass through laboratory Cyclotec Mill. Approximately, 1-2 g of the feed was accurately weighed in a silica basin and charred to remove the smoke and ashed in a muffle furnace.  Acid extract was prepared by quantitative transfer of ash to a dried clean glass beaker to which approximately 20 ml of hydrochloric acid was added.  This was boiled for 5 min and filtered through Whatman filter paper No.1 into a 100 ml volumetric flask.  The filter paper was washed with hot distilled water three times and the volume was made up to mark by distilled water.  Minerals such as Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn were estimated by atomic absorption spectrometer (GBC, Avanta PM) using acetylene as fuel and air as oxidant.   Ca was estimated by AOAC (1984) procedure. Total P in feed samples was estimated by Ward and Johnson (1962) method. 

Statistical analyses

The statistical significances between tree leaves and bushes, roughages and concentrates were analyzed using mixed model least squares and maximum likelihood computer program (PC-2) (Harvey 1990). Similarly, the statistical significances between different tree leaves/bushes between two seasons were analyzed as per Snedecor and Cochran, (1968). 


Results and discussion

Categorical analysis of feeds

The average content of AIA, Fe, Cu and Mn (ppm) were found to be similar (P>0.05) in all categories of feedstuffs i.e. tree leaves, roughages and concentrates. The total ash content was   higher in tree leaves and roughages in comparison to   concentrates. The Ca and Mg contents (%) were   higher in tree leaves compared to roughages and concentrates where as contents of P (%) and Zn (ppm) was   higher in concentrates (Table 1).

Table 1: Mineral contents of feeds for goats

 

Total Ash*

AIA

Ca**

P**

Mg**

Zn**

Cu

Fe

Mn

%

ppm

a) Tree Leaves

 Indian gum arabic

7.01

1.36

2.29

0.11

0.67

47

17

580

24

Indian tree of heaven

9.46

2.23

2.8

0.26

0.62

90

10

872

42

Sacred Fig

13.2

2.46

3.66

0.17

0.32

35

10

318

34

West African Sicklebush

7.57

1.05

2.68

0.14

0.34

42

10

515

45

Subabul

10.1

0.92

3.01

0.13

0.74

33

7

715

48

Cluster Fig

13.2

5.11

2.87

0.14

0.74

33

7

573

34

Proscopis cineraria (L.)

6.5

1.36

2.6

0.09

0.29

37

11

613

29

Neem

9.3

0.68

1.76

0.15

0.74

45

8

704

27

 Morus alba (L.)

15.6

6.32

1.82

0.103

0.57

40

9

901

31

Indian jujube

9.4

1.09

3

0.08

0.45

59

13

632

71

Ficus bengalensis L.

10.7

2.45

3.79

0.11

0.44

40

11

483

26

Balarites aegyptica L.

9.56

1.53

3.15

0.11

0.60

50

13

719

36

Alzebia lebbek L.

9.58

1.87

2.9

0.12

0.33

41

13

726

23

Pithocellobium dulce

11.9

2.73

2.85

0.18

0.47

33

11

803

45

Tooth Brush tree

30.4

1.4

8.62

0.07

0.48

56

12

457

26

Chlorodendron phlemides L.

15.6

1.43

4.18

0.2

0.77

53

15

925

28

Capparis horrida L.

17.4

1.15

4.49

0.1

0.95

61

13

489

39

Average

12.1b

2.07

3.32a

0.13 b

0.56

47 b

11 b

649

36

SEM

1.37

0.37

0.38

0.01

0.05

3

0

41

3

Max

30.4

6.32

8.62

0.26

0.95

90

17

925

71

Min

6.47

0.68

1.76

0.07

0.29

33

7

318

23

(b) Roughages

Buffel grass

12.2

2.90

1.22

0.17

0.26

77

14

646

20

Desmostachys bipinnata (L.) Staph grass

5.6

2.18

1.45

0.01

0.14

53

15

572

22

Cynodon dactylon grass

15.8

2.56

1.05

0.17

0.29

35

9

1220

67

Blue Panic grass

14.1

1.21

0.89

0

0.04

87

17

487

27

Pearl millet  (tender)

15.8

2

1.39

0.37

0.78

132

20

869

54

Pearl millet (mature)

8.71

4.12

0.46

0.21

0.21

44

21

659

6

Chickpea straw

7.90

1.36

1.62

0.03

0.5

67

13

947

12

Average

11.5 b

2.33

1.15 b

0.14 b

0.32

71 ab

16 ab

771

30

SEM

1.54

0.38

0.15

0.05

0.09

12

2

96

8

Max

15.8

4.12

1.62

0.37

0.78

132

21

1220

67

Min

5.64

1.21

0.46

0.00

0.04

35.0

9

487

6

Sorghum grain

0.94

ND

0.10

0.3

0.04

49

4

128

9

Pearl milletgrain

0.79

ND

0.14

0.4

0.04

203

4

281

17

Maize grain

0.93

ND

0.16

0.2

0.04

50

2

175

10

Barley grain

0.67

ND

0.19

0.3

0.04

61

4

147

21

Chickpea husk

4.75

ND

0.59

0.4

0.05

48

8

1451

100

Redgram husk

4.65

ND

0.66

0.3

0.06

100

12

883

38

Indian mustard cake (with oil)

6.93

 

ND

0.68

1.0

0.06

83

17

492

55

Flax seed cake

17.6

ND

0.69

0.8

0.05

103

26

2197

79

cake

6.58

ND

1.39

0.8

0.05

109

27

889

44

Pelleted Feed

6.93

0.7

0.9

0.38

0.25

46

20

668

10

Deoiled Indian mustard cake

7.41

0.59

1.2

0.65

0.85

108

18

517

40

Rice Polish

11.3

4.43

0.6

0.69

0.75

178

13

765

77

Deoiled Sunflower cake

7.87

1

0.8

0.46

0.51

500

48

817

10

Deoiled Soybean cake

17.6

0.74

0.79

0.27

0.1

118

25

709

23

Cluster Bean meal

5.28

0.23

0.4

0.19

0.11

104

17

563

23

Malt Sprouts

6.13

0.9

0.8

0.28

0.2

105

13

771

7

Deoiled Rice Bran

11.7

5.05

0.5

0.46

0.69

114

14

517

57

Average

6.94 a

1.71

0.62

0.46

0.23

122

16

704

36

SE

1.26

0.67

0.09

0.06

0.07

26

3

123

7

MAX

17.6

5.05

1.39

1.00

0.85

500

48

2197

100

MIN

0.67

0.23

0.10

0.19

0.04

46

2

128

7

For  average values within columns ab Means are different at  P < 0.05
‘ND‘ denotes not estimated.

Mineral adequacy of the feeds
Tree and bush fodders

All the tree/bush fodders contained adequate Ca (> 0.7%). The P content (%) was deficient in all the samples (< 0.5 %). The contents of Mg and Zn were adequate in all the samples (>0.2 % for Mg and > 30 ppm for Zn). Cu content (ppm) was found to be adequate only in  Indian gum arabic and Chlorodendron phlemides L (> 15 ppm) and deficient in rest.  Fe content (ppm) was found to be excess in all the fodders analysed (>100). Mn content (ppm) was found to be sufficient (>30) in ten out of seventeen with highest being Indian jujube and lowest in Albezia lebbek

Roughages

Except mature pearl millet fodder, all the roughages had adequate Ca (>0.7 %). The P content (%) was deficient in all the samples (< 0.5 %). Except Desmostachys bipinnata (L.) grass, all the roughages had more than 0.2 % Mg indicating adequacy. The content of Zn and Fe were adequate in all the roughages. Except Cynodon dactylon grass all the roughage had adequate copper. Excepting Cynodon dactylon grass  and tender pearl millet fodder, all the roughages had less Mn (< 30 ppm).  

Concentrates

Excepting Sesame cake, pelleted feed, de-oiled sunflower cake, de-oiled soybean cake and malt sprouts, other concentrate ingredients analysed were found to contain low calcium (<0.7%). Indian mustard cake, Flax seed cake, Sesame cake, de-oiled Indian mustard cake and rice polish has adequate P (>0.5%). Pelleted feed, de-oiled Indian mustard cake, rice polish, de-oiled sunflower cake, malt sprouts and de-oiled rice bran have sufficient Mg (0.2%).  All the analysed concentrate ingredients have sufficient Zn and Fe (> 30 ppm for Zn and > 100 ppm for Fe).  Cu content was low (<15 ppm) in all grains, chunnies, rice polish and malt sprouts.  Mn content was low (< 30 ppm) in grains, pelleted feed, de-oiled sunflower cake, de-oiled soybean cake, cluster bean  meal and malt sprouts.           

Seasonal analysis of tree leaves

The total ash, AIA, Ca and Fe content of different tree leaves and bushes was  different  where as P, Mg, Zn, Cu and Mn were found to be similar in different tree leaves (P > 0.05). The AIA, Ca and Fe contents were   lower in summer season where as P and Cu was   higher in summer leaves compared to winter leaves. Season of the year did not affect total ash, Mg, Zn and Mn content of the leaves (Table 2).  


Table 2: Mineral content of tree leaves as affected by season of the year

Season

Total Ash

AIA

Ca

P

Mg

 

Zn

Cu

Fe

Mn

(%)

 

PPM

Winter

 

Average

12.4

2.40

3.78

0.10

0.53

49

9

702

41

 

SE

1.25

0.39

0.37

0.01

0.05

5

1

39

4

 

Summer

 

Average

11.9

1.73

2.86

0.17

0.59

44

14

595

31

 

SE

1.53

0.36

0.44

0.02

0.08

3

1

52

5

 

Statistical Significance

 

i) Leaves

**

**

**

NS

NS

NS

NS

**

NS

 

ii) Season

NS

**

**

**

NS

NS

**

**

NS

 

** P < 0.01;  NS – Non-significant

 

Mineral adequacy of diet

The mineral adequacy of the diet was estimated using requirements given by Haenlein (1992) and Meschy (2000). Three hypothetical dietary situations were assumed. In the first scenario, the diet was assumed as sole subabul leaf. In this type of situation, the minerals such as P, Zn, Cu and Mn were found to be deficient. In the second situation, the diet was assumed as sole neem leaf. In this type of situation also,  P, Zn, Cu and Mn were found to be deficient. In the third situation, the diet was assumed as sole buffel  grass diet. In this type of situation, P and Mn were found to be deficient (Table 3). 

Table 3: Estimation of mineral adequacy of diet

Dietary situation

Ca1

P1

Mg1

Zn2

Cu2

Fe2

Mn2

% of diet

ppm

Requirement

0.7

0.5

0.2

50

10

100

50

 Subabul leaf diet

3.01*

0.13**

0.74*

33**

7**

715*

48**

 Neem leaf diet

1.76*

0.15**

0.74*

45**

8**

704*

27**

 Buffel grass diet

1.22*

0.17**

0.26*

77*

14*

646*

20**

1requirements were adapted from Haenlein 1992.
2requirements were adapted from Meschy 2000.
* Adequate  ** Not adequate

The variations in the mineral contents amongst different fodders are attributable to plant species, stage of maturity, soil characteristics and agro-climatic conditions (Reid and Horvath 1980). The high level of iron observed in the samples is due to unavoidable soil contamination.  In the present study, the concentrations of Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Fe and Mn were reduced as the bajra fodder matured whereas Cu and AIA contents were increased.  Most investigators have observed a rise with advancing maturity of the plant in the concentrations of Si, Al and Cr and a fall in Cu, Sn, Co, Ni, Mo, Fe and Mn (Underwood 1977). As plants mature, mineral contents decline due to a natural dilution process and translocation of nutrients to the root system.  However, it is interesting to note that Cu status of grazing and housed cattle in the Netherlands indicate that differences exist in the availability of Cu from herbage at different growth stages. The seasonal variations in trace elements of plants could be due to change in moisture status of the soil, affecting trace element availability to plants, botanical composition of herbage, morphological characteristics of plants such proportions of leaf to stem, seed and palatability (Underwood 1977). The extent of deficiency, is dependent on the type of accompanying feed as in the case of straws and stovers which contain several anti-nutritional factors like silica, lignin and oxalates, and the physiological status of the animal (McDowell 1996). Similarly, tannins present in leaf fodders might influence trace mineral absorption. 

Endogenous losses of Ca and P might be more related to dry matter intake than to the bodyweight. True absorption coefficient of P is probably higher for goats (70-75%) than for other ruminant species. Ca and phosphorus requirements for pregnancy are higher because of the frequency of multiple fetuses. The requirements for growth are lower than for calves. Nevertheless, Ca and P content of goat milk (1.3 g Ca/l, and 0.9 g P/l, respectively) are very close to those of cow milk. Several results indicate that goats are less sensitive to Cu toxicity than sheep and cattle and can tolerate higher levels of Cu in their diets (Meschy 2000). The literature on mineral requirements of goats and sheep suggested that they differ from production function (growth, maintenance and lactation). However, mineral requirements found in literature are given in ranges (Haenlein 1992 for goats). 


Conclusion


Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge Director, Central Institute for Research on Goats, Makhdoom, Farah (PO) for guidance and providing necessary facilities to carry out the research work. The authors further express sincere thanks to Dr. T. R. Preston, Editor, Livestock Research for Rural Development for excellent suggestions in improving the manuscript.


References

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Received 9 September 2010; Accepted 14 March 2011; Published 3 August 2011

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