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  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Microbial degradation of mimosine in goats
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences,Mannuthy, 1995) Prabhakaran, P; KAU; Devasia, P A
    An investigation was carried out to find out the extent of in vitro microbial degradation of pure mimosine (T1) and that of immature leaves (T2), mature leaves (T3), tender stems (T4) and seeds (T5) of L. leucocephala using strained rumen liquor obtained from three rumen fistulated Saanen – Malabari crossbred goats maintained under standard conditions of feeding and management. The proximate chemical composition and mimosine content of different edible parts of leucaena during the months of May, June and July were determined. While immature leaves and seeds had higher crude protein content, seeds had higher crude fat, tender stems had higher crude fibre and mature leaves had higher ash content compared to other edible parts of subabul. The average mimosine concentrations of T2, T3, T4 and T5 were 12.11 + 0.05, 4.89 + 0.02, 3.90 + 0.04 and 10.70 + 0.08 per cent respectively during May; 11.66 + 0.06, 5.23 + 0.03, 3.62 + 0.03 and 10.44 + 0.05 per cent respectively during June and 9.96 + 0.05, 4.92 + 0.03, 3.73 + 0.02 and 9.51 + 0.04 per cent respectively during July on a dry matter basis. The average mimosine concentrations of strained goat rumen liquor incubated with 37.50 mg/100 ml of added mimosine in pure form or as immature leaves, mature leaves, tender stems and seeds showed significant reduction at every 12 hr intervals from 0 to 48 hr of incubation, the final average concentrations being 23.98 + 0.37, 23.14 + 0.37, 22.20 + 0.28, 23.12 + 0.52, 23.35 + 0.37 mg/100 ml of SRL. The percentage of in vitro degradation in respect of T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 increased significantly at every 12 hr intervals of incubation from 0 to 48 hr, even though the degradation was incomplete with all treatments, the average percentage degradation at 48 hr of incubation being 31.69 + 1.02, 34.49 + 1.18, 37.12 + 0.99, 34.54 + 1.50 and 33.41 + 1.03 respectively. The overall average rate of disappearance of mimosine in µg.ml-1 . h-1 in respect of T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5 for the entire period of 48 hr of incubation were 2.33, 2.54, 2.74, 2.54 and 2.44 respectively with highest rates during 0 to 12 hr, lower rates during 24 to 36 hr and least rates during 36 to 48 hr. The production of ammonia and VFA coincided with the active degradation of mimosine, there being faster degradation upto 12 hr of incubation with highest concentrations of ammonia and VFA at 12 hr of incubation. The overall results indicated that the rumen microorganisms of crossbred goats degrade mimosine to DPH, ammonia and VFA and that mimosine does not inhibit the microbial activity, even though the possible role of leucaena endogenous enzymes in the partial degradation of mimosine recorded in the present study cannot be ruled out.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Influence of feed enzymes on nutrient availability and production performance of laying hens
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Satyamoorthy, B; KAU; Maggie Menachery, D
    The influence of feed enzymes, viz., cellulose or protease supplemented at levels of 0.06 or 0.02 per cent respectively, on nutrient availability and on production performance was evaluated in a standard and a less dense layer ration using one hundred IWN strain of Single Comb White Leghorn pullets of 20 weeks of age for an experimental period of 20 weeks. A standard layer ration was formulated as per BIS, 1993. With 18 per cent crude protein and 2600 kcal of ME per kg of feed and a less dense layer ration with 16 per cent crude protein and 2500 kcal of ME per kg of feed. A few feed ingredients such as jowar, deoiled rice bran, wheat bran and undecorticated sunflower cake were included in both rations. A numerical improvement was noticed in percentage hen – housed and hen – day egg production in enzyme treated groups, however, the increase in egg number was not statistically significant. Egg weight and egg quality characteristics such as yolk and albumen indexes, Haugh unit scores and shell thickness were not affected by enzyme treatment. A positive influence of the enzymes on feed intake by birds was observed in as much as the feed intake with less dense ration supplemented with enzymes was not different statistically from those with the control ration. There was positive enzyme effect on feed per egg in treatment groups on standard layer ration with both enzymes and in less dense ration with protease. Feed efficiency for egg production (egg number) was significantly higher in birds fed standard layer ration with cellulose and protease than those on other treatments (P < 0.05). There was improvement in digestibility of crude protein and utilisation of energy, even though the differences noted were not significant statistically. The enzyme treatment of rations reduced moisture content of excreta. The microbial load on the surface of eggs was comparatively low in enzyme treated groups. The intestinal viscosity was reduced with enzyme addition in feed mixtures. The cost – benefit analysis indicated that but for the prohibitive enzyme cost, the feed enzymes were nutritionally beneficial. Based on the present investigation it is concluded that there is tremendous scope for enzymes in feed industry, especially at the present context of feed shortages and the emphasis for the utilisation of alternative feed resources in poultry rations.
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of dried spleen as a growth promoter in the ration of crossbred calves
    (Department of Animal Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Sagathevan, S; KAU; George Mathen
    An investigation was carried out to assess the effect of dried spleen as a growth promoter m the ration of crossbred calves Twenty crossbred heifer calves of six to nine months of age were distributed randomly into four groups (group I II III and IV) as uniformly as possible with regard to age and body weight The animals m groups I II III and IV were maintained on concentrate ration A containing 20 per cent crude protein concentrate ration B containing 20 per cent crude protein and 0 1 per cent dried buffalo spleen concentrate ration C containing 15 per cent crude protein and concentrate ration D containing 15 per cent crude protein and 0 1 per cent dried buffalo spleen respectively The animals in groups I II III and IV showed average daily weight gain of 633 667 572 and 594 gramsrespectively The animals m group I and II showed higher weight gain than those m group III and IV but on statistical analysis there was no significant difference among the four groups The dried buffalo spleen biostimulator did not have any effect on change m body measurements viz height at withers body length and chest girth biostimulator treated group and control The animals in group I and II had higher digestibility coefficients for crude fibre neutral detergent fibre hemicellulose and cellulose than the animals m group III and IV The digestibility coefficient for crude protein was higher in group III and IV A critical assessment of the overall results obtained during the course of the present study indicates that addition of dried spleen biostimulator at a rate of 0 1 per cent m the ration did not have any effect on growth feed efficiency haematological value rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility m crossbred calves with an average daily gain of 600 grams per day
  • ThesisItemOpen Access
    Effect of fish meal on growth and feed conversion efficiency in crossbred calves
    (Department of Nutrition, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Subramanian, R; KAU; Ramachandran, P
    An investigation spread over a period of 126 days was carried out to assess the effect of fish meal in concentrate mixtures of calves for growth. Eighteen crossbred calves of 5-7 months of age and about 70 kg mean initial body weight, divided into three identical groups formed the experimental subjects. The calves in groups I, II and III were maintained on concentrate mixtures containing 0 (diet A) , 5 (diet B) and 10 (diet C) per cent respectively of fish meal along with grass hay fed ad libitum as the sole roughage. Data on body weight and body measurements, feed conversion efficiency, digestibility of nutrients, haematological values and economics of feeding of the calves were the criteria employed for the evaluation. The intake of DM, CP, DCP and TDN (g/kg metabolic body weight) were not significantly different among the animals in three groups. The digestibility coefficients of crude protein and ether extract were significantly higher in animals of group I than in those of groups II and III. The average daily gain in body weight were 487, 500 and 554 g respectively for the animals in groups I, II and III respectively and the increase in growth response was linearly and positively correlated to the level of fish meal in the diet. Although, body measurements did not reveal any significant difference among the groups, the slightly higher values obtained in group III indicated that calves fed diet containing 10 per cent fish meal had higher skeletal and muscle growth than those fed diets A and B. Highest feed and protein conversion efficiency were shown by calves of group III fed fish meal at 10 per cent level in the diet followed by those in group II and I. Diet C containing 10 per cent fish meal in the concentrate mixture was proved to be most cost effective. Though the haematological parameters did not reveal any significant difference among the groups, the slightly higher value for plasma protein obtained for animals in group III indicated the relatively better nutritional status of animals maintained on diet C over the animals on diet A and B. An overall critical assessment of the results clearly indicated that fish meal can be included in calf ration at 10 per cent level in partial replacement of vegetable protein supplements like groundnut oil cake, with beneficial results in terms of biological and economic efficiency.