NUTRIENTS DIGESTIBILITY IN Tithonia diversifolia FOLIAGE IN FATTENING RABBITS

Abstract

An experiment was carried out to determine the nutrients digestibility in Tithonia diversifolia foliage in fattening rabbits, 30 animals (1.450 g ± 93.77 initial body weight) were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design in three treatments and ten replicates. The mash diets including 0, 9 and 18 % of tithonia foliage. The dry matter (DMD), organic matter (OMD), crude protein (CPD), neutral detergent fiber (FDND), hemicellulose (HEMD) and energy digestibilities (DE) were determined using the acid insoluble ash method. The nutrient digestibility in foliage was estimated by the replacing test ingredient method. The DMD, OMD, PCD and HEMD (51.12, 53.45 and 51.25; 51.99, 54.87 and 52.60; 68.57, 60.11 and 64.08, and 44.20, 45.37 and 47.24 % for the three foliage inclusion level, respectively) were similar (P>0.05) among diets. The foliage MSD, OMD, PCD, and ED DHEM was 53.80, 55.19, 59.17, 50.00 and 39.18%, while the protein and energy digestible content in tithonia foliage was 109.60 g/kg and 2139.45 kcal/kg. It was concluded that the tithonia foliage has high content of nutrients