The nutritional value of some fruit tree leaves for finishing lambs

Abstract

The nutritional value of some tree leaves (grape, common fig, barberry, sweet cherry, apricot, peach, and oleaster) was investigated by in vitro and common laboratory methods. Also, thirty Baluchi male lambs were randomly divided into five groups, including one control group (alfalfa) and four experimental groups, which received diets containing different leaves (barberry, apricot, peach, and grape). The crude protein content ranged from 128 for the sweet cherry to 164 g/kg DM for grape. Common fig and barberry had the greatest and lowest calcium (29.3 vs. 11.5 g/kg DM), respectively (p < 0.001). The greatest total volatile fatty acids, dry matter and organic matter digestibilities, as well as potential gas production, were observed in barberry leaves (p < 0.001). Apricot had the greatest acid-base buffering capacity (245 mEq × 10⁻³) (p < 0.001). Lambs fed with barberry had a greater average daily gain (179 g/day, p = 0.013). The results of in vitro and in vivo indicated that barberry leaves had a greater nutritional value among the studied leaves. It is concluded that alfalfa can be replaced with barberry, apricot, peach, and grape leaves up to 250 g/kg DM in diet without deleterious effects on performance, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, and hematology.

Keywords:

• Barberry
• feeding value
• in vitro
• in vivo
• tree leaves

Acknowledgments

The authors thank to the University of Torbat-e Jam for supporting this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The financial support of this project was provided by the University of Torbat-e Jam.