Investigation of the Nutritional Potential of a Pasture Plant Species (Cyperus rotundus L.) at Different Growth Stages Under In Vitro and Standard Laboratory Studies

Mohsen Kazemi ¹ ( Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science, University of Torbat-e Jam, Torbat-e Jam, Iran )

تاريخ الإرسال : 15 الأربعاء , محرم, 1445 تاريخ التأكيد : 22 الإثنين , ربيع الثاني, 1445

الکلمات المفتاحية: Nutritional value, Growth stage, Cyperus rotundus, Rangeland plant,

ملخص المقالة :

Cyperus rotundus L. (C. rotundus) is a medicinal plant and a species of sedge (Cyperaceae family) that grows in different world rangelands, especially in Iran. The nutritional aspects of this plant have not been scientifically investigated by animal science nutritionists. Therefore, the C. rotundus's nutritional potential at three growth stages by different standard laboratory methods was investigated. Different amounts of chemical-mineral compositions were observed among the various growth stages of C. rotundus. The dry matter (18.86–25.15 % of fresh weight), crude protein (10.51–14.40 % of DM), neutral detergent fiber (27.42–33.40 %), acid detergent fiber (18.75–24.83 %), ash (10.95–13.40 %), and non-fiber carbohydrates (41.01–45.14 %) contents of C. rotundus differed among three growth stages (P < 0.05). The different contents of minerals (sodium: 2.37–2.88 g/kg of DM; calcium: 4.19–4.77 g; phosphorus: 1.20–1.36 g; magnesium: 2.50–2.99 g; potassium: 27.10–29.33 g; manganese: 45.13–54.12 mg/kg of DM; iron: 470–527 mg; and zinc: 13.40–18.07 mg) were also observed among three growth stages of C. rotundus. The highest content of potential gas production (47.66 ml/200 mg of DM) was observed in C. rotundus at the vegetative stage (P < 0.05). The amounts of 24 h dry matter digestibility (47.97 %), 24 h organic dry matter digestibility (43.30 %), metabolizable energy (4.54 MJ/kg of DM), net energy for lactation (2.14 MJ/kg of DM), and dry matter intake (4.38 % of body weight) were the highest in the vegetative stage of C. rotundus. Regarding C. rotundas's relatively favorite potential nutritional, it was concluded that it can meet some of the nutrient requirements of small ruminants at the maintenance level. The vegetative stages exhibited better nutritional values compared to the other two growth stages. This plant can be nutritionally comparable to corn silage as a commonly used forage in small ruminants' feeding.

نص كامل:



Nutritional Values of Cyperus rotundus L. at Three Growth Stages Under In Vitro and Standard Laboratory Studies

Mohsen Kazemi*

Associate Prof., Dept. Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Animal Science, University of Torbat-e Jam, Torbat-e Jam, Iran, *(Corresponding author), E-mail: [e-mail], [e-mail]

 

Abstract. Cyperus rotundus L. (C. rotundus) is a medicinal plant and a species of sedge (Cyperaceae family) that grows in different world rangelands, especially in Iran. The nutritional aspects of this plant have not been scientifically investigated by animal science nutritionists. Therefore, the C. rotundus's nutritional potential at three growth stages by different standard laboratory methods was investigated. Different amounts of chemical-mineral compositions were observed among the various growth stages of C. rotundus. The dry matter (18.86–25.15 % of fresh weight), crude protein (10.51–14.40 % of DM), neutral detergent fiber (27.42–33.40 %), acid detergent fiber (18.75–24.83 %), ash (10.95–13.40 %), and non-fiber carbohydrates (41.01–45.14 %) contents of C. rotundus differed among three growth stages (P < 0.05). The different contents of minerals (sodium: 2.37–2.88 g/kg of DM; calcium: 4.19–4.77 g; phosphorus: 1.20–1.36 g; magnesium: 2.50–2.99 g; potassium: 27.10–29.33 g; manganese: 45.13–54.12 mg/kg of DM; iron: 470–527 mg; and zinc: 13.40–18.07 mg) were also observed among three growth stages of C. rotundus. The highest content of potential gas production (47.66 ml/200 mg of DM) was observed in C. rotundus at the vegetative stage (P < 0.05). The amounts of 24 h dry matter digestibility (47.97 %), 24 h organic dry matter digestibility (43.30 %), metabolizable energy (4.54 MJ/kg of DM), net energy for lactation (2.14 MJ/kg of DM), and dry matter intake (4.38 % of body weight) were the highest in the vegetative stage of C. rotundus. Regarding C. rotundas's relatively favorite potential nutritional, it was concluded that it can meet some of the nutrient requirements of small ruminants at the maintenance level. The vegetative stages exhibited better nutritional values compared to the other two growth stages. This plant can be nutritionally comparable to corn silage as a commonly used forage in small ruminants' feeding.

 

Key words: Cyperus rotundus, Nutritional value, Growth stage, Rangeland plant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

The nutritional aspects of different rangeland plants have been investigated by various researchers (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019; Kazemi, 2019). One of the plants that can extensively grow in Iran's rangelands is Cyperus rotundus L. (C. rotundus). The C. rotundus is also famous for other names such as coco-grass, Java grass, nut grass, purple nut sedge, purple nut sedge, red nut sedge, and Khmer kravanh chruk (Rajabi et al., 2021). In Iran, because of the high growth rate, it is commonly famous as Alaf-e salam aleik. The C. rotundus is also a perennial plant whose height may reach up to 140 cm and is used as a traditional medicinal herb in treating various ailments (Kumar et al., 2014). The plant has an extensive network of creeping underground rhizomes with a bulbous base, which arise from a single tuber of 1–3 cm length (Bryson and DeFelice, 2009). Its tubers are usually oval-rectangular in shape and black to brown in color, with a reddish-white interior and a specific aroma (Lawal and Oyedeji, 2009). The C. rotundus has a long history as an herbal medicine in several countries, and accordingly, it has been collected in indigenous medicine systems in different countries and provinces (Xue et al., 2023). The C. rotundus's antioxidant activity has been reported by Kumar et al. (2014). El-Wakil et al. (2023) reported that C. rotundus 90% MeOH extract and its derived fractions had anti-trichinellosis activity. Different chemical constituents for this herb have been reported such as essential oils, flavonoids, terpenoids, sesquiterpenes, sitosterol, cyperene, cyperol, nootkatone and valencene (Sonwa and König, 2001, Tsoyi et al., 2011) which are the responsible for several therapeutic, pesticidal, fungicidal, and insecticidal properties. In traditional Chinese medicine, its rhizomes are often used to treat liver disease, stomachache, breast tenderness, dysmenorrheal and menstrual irregularities (Xue et al., 2023). This plant is native to southern Asia, Africa, and southern and central Europe; furthermore, it has been commonly adapted well in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Srivastava et al., 2013; Peerzada et al., 2015). This is probably the reason why grass like C. rotundus is generally grazed, is related to its small size and tender herbaceous texture (Shaheen et al., 2020). It is reported that C. rotundus as a grass forage can be useful for the control of helminths in ruminants (Mpofu, 2022). According to the available information, no scientific report about the nutritional value of C. rotundus has been published for small ruminants worldwide. 

Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the nutritional value of C. rotundus at three growth stages. Also, the chemical-mineral compositions, in vitro gas production parameters, and some ruminal fermentative-digestive parameters of C. rotundus were determined.

 

Material and Methods

Plant collection

The whole parts of Cyperus rotundus (C. rotundus) were randomly collected at vegetative (May 2022), flowering (June 2022), and seeding (July 2022) stages from the natural rangeland of Torbat-e Jam city, Iran. This area is 8184 square kilometers, from 60° 15´E to 60° 30´E, and 34° 35´N to 35° 47´N. The average elevation is 950 m above sea level and the climate is cold and dry, with an average annual precipitation of about 100.6 mm. The samples were cut from 2 cm of the ground surface, stored in nylon bags and immediately transferred to the central laboratory of Torbat-e Jam University.

 

Chemical and mineral composition determination

The dry matter (DM) content of the samples was determined following drying in a forced air oven at 60 °C (AOAC, 2005). The ash content was determined after burning the sample in an electrical furnace at 550 °C for 4 h. The concentrations of neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were determined by Ankom technology (2005, 2006a, 2006b). The ether extract concentration was determined using a Soxhlet extractor and hexane solution (AOAC, 2005). The concentration of crude protein (CP) was determined using the Kjeldahl device. The content of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC) was calculated by subtracting CP, NDF, fat, and ash from total DM (Sniffen, 1992). The minerals including sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, iron, and zinc were determined by an atomic absorption apparatus spectrophotometer (SavantAA, GBC, Australia). A simple spectrophotometric method has been developed for the determination of phosphorus (Kazemi et al., 2023).  

The in vitro rumen microbial fermentation and gas test 

The method suggested by Menke and Stingass (1988) was employed for running gas test technique. Ruminal liquor was gathered from three fistulated sheep (40±4 kg) which were fed on a fodder basal ration at the maintenance level. The samples of Ruminal liquor were gathered 2 h after the morning feeding, strained through four layers of silky cloth and kept immediately at 39°C under continuous flushing with CO2 until the start of the experiment. The samples as well as rumen liquor, and artificial saliva (30 ml, 1:2 ratio) were moved to the 100-ml lubricated syringes. The end of each glass syringe was plumped by a plastic clip to prevent gas leakage. All glass syringes were slowly flicked and moved to a water bath at a temperature of 39°C for times of 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h (Menke and Steingass, 1988; Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019; Kazemi et al., 2023). A media similar to that prepared for the gas test was used for the determination of total volatile fatty acids (TVFA), pH, ammonia nitrogen, in vitro organic matter digestibility (in vitro OMD), and in vitro DM digestibility (in vitro DMD) after 24 h incubation (Kazemi and Ghasemi Bezdi, 2021). The method of Getachew et al. (2004) was employed for sampling the culture medium for TVFA determination. Markham's device (Markham, 1942) was used to determine ruminal TVFA based on Barnett and Reid's (1957) method. The method of Komolong et al. (2001) was employed for ammonia nitrogen determination.  

Data Analysis 

The equation of Ørskov and McDonald (1979) [] was employed for determination of in vitro gas production parameters. In that Y is the gas production at time t, b is the potential of gas production (bgas, ml/200 mg of DM), c is the fractional rate of gas production (cgas, %/h), and lag denotes the time elapsed to the onset of fermentation. The values obtained from the laboratory and in vitro protocols were analyzed in a completely randomized design using the GLM procedure of SAS (2002). All parameters were repeated five times. The gas test was repeated in two runs. The equations proposed by Menke and Steingass (1988) were used for the determination of metabolizable energy (ME) and net energy for lactation (NEl). Means were compared using Tukey's test. Dry matter intake (DMI) was estimated by the equation of Sanson and Kercher (1996).  

Results

Chemical and mineral materials

Chemical compositions (% of DM) of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages are presented in Table 1. A different range of chemical compositions among the three growth stages of C. rotundus was observed. The contents of chemical compositions differed from 18.86–25.15 % of fresh weight for DM, 10.95–13.4 % of DM for ash, 18.75–24.83 % of DM for ADF, 27.42–33.40 % of DM for NDF, 5.50–8.05 % of DM for ADL, 1.68–2.10 % of DM for EE, 10.51–14.40 % of DM for CP, and 41.01–45.14 % of DM for NFC, respectively (Table 1). The vegetative stage of C. rotundus exhibited the lowest NDF, ADF, ADL, Ash, and DM contents, but the highest EE, CP, and NFC.

 

Table 1. Chemical compositions (% of DM) of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages

Growth stages	DM	Ash	ADF	NDF	ADL	EE	CP	NFC
Vegetative	18.86c	10.95c	18.75c	27.42c	5.50c	2.10a	14.40a	45.14a
Flowering	21.78b	12.07b	21.83b	30.40b	6.87b	1.92a	12.51b	43.11ab
Seeding	25.15a	13.40a	24.83a	33.40a	8.05a	1.68b	10.51c	41.01b
SEM	0.83	0.37	0.92	0.90	0.38	0.06	0.59	0.72
P-value	<0.0001	0.001	0.0006	0.0004	0.0005	0.002	0.001	0.03

Within columns, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Tukey's test.

DM (% of fresh weight): dry matter; ADF: acid detergent fiber; NDF: neutral detergent fiber; ADL: acid detergent lignin; EE: ether extract; CP: crude protein; NFC: non-fiber carbohydrate; SEM: standard error of the mean.

 

Mineral compositions of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages are exhibited in Table 2. The contents of minerals differed from 2.37–2.88 g/kg DM for sodium, 4.19–4.77 g/kg DM for calcium, 1.20–1.36 g/kg DM for phosphorus, 2.50–2.99 g/kg DM for magnesium, 27.10–29.33 g/kg DM for potassium, 45.13–54.12 mg/kg DM for manganese, 470–527 mg/kg DM for iron, and 13.40–18.07 mg/kg DM for zinc, respectively (Table 2). The vegetative stage of C. rotundus exhibited the highest mineral contents (Na, Ca, P, Mg, K, Mn, Fe, and Zn) compared to the seeding stage (Table 2).

 

Table 2. Mineral compositions of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages

Growth stages	Na	Ca	P	Mg	K	Mn	Fe	Zn
Vegetative	2.88a	4.77a	1.36a	2.99a	29.33a	54.12a	527.57a	18.07a
Flowering	2.56ab	4.55ab	1.30ab	2.76ab	28.03ab	49.57ab	494.67b	16.30a
Seeding	2.37b	4.19b	1.20b	2.50b	27.10b	45.13b	470.0b	13.40b
SEM	0.09	0.09	0.03	0.08	0.37	1.54	8.87	0.001
P-value	0.04	0.01	0.01	0.006	0.01	0.02	0.002	0.003

Within columns, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Tukey's test.

Na (g/kg DM): Sodium; Ca (g/kg DM): calcium; P (g/kg DM): phosphorus; Mg (g/kg DM): magnesium; K (g/kg DM): potassium (g/kg DM); Mn: manganese (mg/kg DM); Fe (mg/kg DM): Iron; Zn (mg/kg DM): Zinc. SEM: standard error of the mean.

 

 

The in vitro rumen microbial fermentation and gas test

The in vitro gas production parameters of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages are shown in Table 3. The amounts of in vitro gas production parameters differed from 40.87–47.66 ml/200 mg DM for bgas, 0.0122–0.0136 %/h for cgas, 4.90–5.24 h for lag time, 2.92–4.22 ml/200 mg DM for 12 h gas production, 7.73–10.32 ml/200 mg DM for 24 h gas production, 17.97–22.68 ml/200 mg DM for 48 h gas production, and 22.23–27.65 ml/200 mg DM for 72 h gas production, respectively. The vegetative stage of C. rotundus showed the highest bgas, cgas, and 12, 24, 48, and 72 h gas production parameters.

 

Table 3. The in vitro gas production parameters of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages

Growth stages	bgas	cgas	LT	gas 12 h	gas 24 h	gas 48 h	gas 72 h
Vegetative	47.66a	0.0136a	4.90b	4.22a	10.32a	22.68a	27.65a
Flowering	44.11b	0.0128ab	5.16a	3.39b	8.89b	20.01b	24.64b
Seeding	40.87c	0.0122b	5.24a	2.92c	7.73c	17.97c	22.23c
SEM	1.01	0.0002	0.057	0.19	0.38	0.70	0.80
P-value	0.0002	0.02	0.01	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0002	0.0001

Within columns, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Tukey's test.

bgas: potential gas production (ml/200 mg of DM); cgas: fractional rate of gas production (%/h); LT: lag time (hour); gas 12, 24, 48, and 72 h: the gas produced at times 12, 24, 48, and 72 h incubation (ml/200 mg of DM); SEM: standard error of the mean.

 

 

The estimated parameters and in vitro fermentative-digestive parameters of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages is presented in Table 4. The amounts of some parameters differed from 53.73–58.16 mmol/L for TVFA, 40.33–47.97 % of DM for in vitro 24 h DMD, 35.47–43.30 % of DM for in vitro 24 h OMD, 3.93–4.54 MJ/Kg of DM for ME, 1.73–2.14 MJ/kg of DM for NEl, and 3.59–4.38 % of live weight for DMI, respectively. The parameters including NH3-N, and 24 h pH remained unchanged among three growth stages.

Table 4. The estimated parameters and in vitro fermentative-digestive parameters of C. rotundus collected at three growth stages

Growth stages	NH3-N	TVFA	In vitro 24 h DMD	In vitro 24 h OMD	ME	NEl	24 h pH	DMI
Vegetative	16.81	58.16a	47.97a	43.30a	4.54a	2.14a	6.80	4.38a
Flowering	16.16	55.97b	44.40b	41.13b	4.22b	1.93b	6.74	3.95b
Seeding	15.71	53.73c	40.33c	35.47c	3.93c	1.73c	6.75	3.59c
SEM	0.24	‌0.67	1.12	1.19	0.09	0.06	0.02	0.12
P-value	0.17	0.0007	<0.0001	<0.0001	0.0002	0.0002	0.32	0.0005

Within columns, means followed by the same letter are not significantly different according to Tukey's test.

NH3-N (mg/dL): ammonia nitrogen; TVFA (mmol/L): total volatile fatty acids; in vitro 24 h DMD (%): In vitro 24 h dry matter digestibility; In vitro 24 h OMD (%): in vitro 24 h organic matter digestibility; ME (MJ/kg of DM): metabolizable energy; NEl (MJ/kg of DM): net energy for lactation; 24 h pH: the pH measured in the culture medium after 24 h incubation; DMI: dry matter intake (% of body weight); SEM: standard error of the mean

 

Discussion

Chemical analysis provides absolute values ​​and therefore differs from most laboratory methods that merely rank feeds. However, without the involvement of the host animal, the nutritional value estimate is inferred by statistical correlation (Mould, 2003). Since the ideal method of evaluating the nutritional value of a feed, i.e. presenting it to the appropriate class of animal and recording the resulting production response, is neither practical nor economical, a wide range of feed evaluation techniques have been developed (Mould, 2003). All feed evaluation techniques attempt to identify the extent to which the feed contributes to the ruminant nutritional requirements. The evaluation of the data related to the chemical composition of C. rotundus, especially in the vegetative stage, showed that this plant can meet the nutritional needs of small ruminants at the maintenance level. For example, the CP content (14.40 % of DM) of C. rotundus at the vegetative and flowering stages is similar to that reported for late-cut alfalfa (12–15 % of DM) by Foster et al. (2009). The fiber and CP are two important quality attributes of forages, and their accurate estimation in different weather conditions is very important to produce quality forage. In this regard, C. rotundus has a relatively good CP and fiber content compared to common forages used in feeding small ruminants. Unlike other estimates of feed quality, chemical analysis is the only one that provides absolute values ​​(e.g., the exact amount of nitrogen or ash present) (Mould, 2003). Consistent with the results of the current study, it has been reported that the concentrations of DM, NDF, ADL, and ADF increase and the concentration of CP decreases as the plant matures (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2020). Also, by passing from the vegetative stage to the flowering stage, the nutritional value of two plants (Salvia hydrangea and Sophora alopecuroides) decreased (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2020). In several studies, the nutritional potential of many rangeland plants grown in Iran has been reported by researchers (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019; Kazemi, 2019; Kazemi, 2020; Kazemi, 2021; Dehghani Bidgoli et al., 2022). The DM content of C. rotundus (18.86–25.15 % of fresh weight) is close to that reported (14.88 % of fresh weight for Centaurea cyanus to 20.62 % for Vicia sativa) for some rangeland plants by Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019). The content of EE (1.68–2.10 % of DM) was comparable with that reported for Medicago sativa (1.76 % of DM) by Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019). 

The imbalance of ration minerals in marginal pastures has challenged the precise mineral supplementation of sheep (Stewart et al., 2021). Knowing the mineral status of plants can facilitate the prediction of mineral deficiency. The content of two major minerals including calcium (4.19–4.77 g/kg DM) and phosphorus (1.20–1.36 g/kg DM) was lower than those reported for Medicago sativa (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019; Ca: 13.29 g/kg DM, P: 2.61 g/kg DM) as a common forage used in small ruminant feeding. The concentrations of iron (470–527 mg/Kg DM) and sodium (2.37–2.88 g/Kg DM) for C. rotundus were higher than those reported for Medicago sativa (iron: 260 mg/Kg DM, sodium: 1.30 g/Kg DM), but with a similar potassium content (27.10–29.33 g/kg DM vs. 28.15 g/Kg DM). In line with the present results, several mineral contents decreased when the plant matured (Kazemi and Ghasemi Bezdi, 2021). It has been reported that the iron, manganese, and zinc requirements of sheep are about 30–50, 20–40, and 20–33 mg/kg DM, respectively (Moniello et al., 2005). Therefore, the sheep should use 57–64, 370–444, and 1111–1538 g DM of C. rotundus per day at each growth stages to provide minimum iron, manganese, and zinc requirements, respectively. Range of macro-mineral required for sheep are reported about 0.09–0.18 sodium, 0.20–0.82 calcium, 0.16-0.38 phosphorus, 0.12–0.18 magnesium, 0.50–0.80 g/kg DM potassium (Moniello et al., 2005). Therefore, the sheep should consume at least 31–38, 42–48, 118–133, 40–48, and 17–18 g DM of C. rotundus per day to meet the minimum sodium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium requirements, respectively.

Due to its speed, availability, and potential to simulate fermentation kinetics in the rumen, the gas test technique has been widely used in the past decade to evaluate various pasture plants (Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019; Kazemi, 2019; Kazemi, 2020; Kazemi and Valizaeh, 2020; Kazemi, 2021). Gas production is a reflection of the generation of short-chain fatty acids and microbial mass (Getachew et al., 1998). Incubation of C. rotundus at the vegetative stage compared to the other stages resulted in greater bgas and 12, 24, 48, 72 h gas production. This can be explained by the fact that the ruminal microorganisms can better digest a plant with lower fiber. A negative relation between bgas and the fiber content of some rangeland plants has been reported by Kazemi (2019). On the other hand, as a plant matures, its fiber content increases. It is well known that with increasing maturity, forages become more fibrous and lignified and their digestibility declines (Alibes and Tisserand, 1990). An increase in NDF and ADF resulted in the low cgas at the seeding stage. This result is in agreement with the findings of Kazemi (2019) who found that the cgas was negatively correlated with NDF and ADF of some rangeland plants. It can be seen from Table 3 that the gas production at all incubation times and some estimated parameters (bgas, cgas, in vitro OMD, in vitro DMD, NEl, and ME) were negatively correlated with NDF and ADF. This result was consistent with findings reported by Abdulrazak et al. (2000), Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019), and Kazemi (2019). Estimated parameters (bgas, and in vitro 24 h OMD) were also significantly correlated with CP which is one of the limiting factors for microbial growth. This result was in agreement with the findings of Larbi et al. (1998), Kazemi (2019), and Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019). 

In line with the present study, it has been reported that digestibility of plants generally decreases with advancing maturity. This reduction arises from the interaction of factors such as increased fiber concentration in plant tissues (Wilson et al., 1991; Kazemi and Valizadeh, 2019), increased lignification during plant growth (Morrison, 1980), and different leaf-stem ratios (Hides et al., 1983). A strong positive relation between TVFA and in vitro DMD and in vitro OMD has been reported by Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019). This shows C. rotundus at the vegetative stage because of lower NDF and ADF contents and higher in vitro DMD and OMD produce higher TVFA in the culture medium among the three growth stages. McSweeney et al. (1999) reported that in vitro DMD provide a poor indication of true fermentability. Instead, the authors recommended measuring end products of in vitro fermentation such as ammonia, short and branched chain fatty acids to better assess the nutritional value of forage plants. In this regards, the present study shows a reasonable levels of TVFA for C. rotundus at the vegetative stages. The higher in vitro OMD and TVFA in C. rotundus at the vegetative stage were higher than those in the other growth stage, possibly because C. rotundus at vegetative stage contains more fermentable carbohydrate which is a vital substrate for growth of ruminal microorganisms (Anele et al., 2009). The variation of the ME values among the three growth stages of C. rotundus (3.93–4.54 MJ/kg DM) was less than 1 MJ/kg DM. Estimation of ME values ​​is valuable for ration formulation purposes and determining the economic value of feed for other purposes (Getachew et al., 2000). The ME (3.93–4.94 MJ/kg DM) and NEl (1.73–2.14 MJ/kg DM) of C. rotundus at three growth stages was lower than that reported for Medicago sativa (ME: 9.01 MJ/kg DM, NEl: 5.36 MJ/kg DM) by Kazemi and Valizadeh (2019).

 

Conclusion

The nutritional value of C. rotundus decreased as the plant matured. The evaluation of in vitro fermentation parameters and chemical-mineral analysis suggests that C. rotundus at the vegetative stage is of higher nutritional value among the three growth stages. The nutritional potential of C. rotundus at three growth stages was lower than Medicago sativa as a common forage in ruminants feeding. Generally, C. rotundus as a pasture plant can meet the nutritional requirements of small ruminants such as sheep and goats at the maintenance level in the absence of common forages. The common in vivo studies is recommended for the dietary effects of C. rotundus in small ruminant feeding.

 

Acknowledgment

We thank the University of Torbat-e Jam for the technical and financial support of this project. The assistance of Mr. Meysam Ilnet and Mr. Mohammad Khabazi in carrying out this project is greatly acknowledged.

      

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بررسی ارزش تغذیه‌ای گیاه Cyperus rotundus L. در سه مرحله رویشی با استفاده از مطالعات درون‌شیشه‌ای و آزمایشگاهیِ استاندارد

محسن کاظمی

دانشیار گروه علوم دامی مجتمع آموزش عالی تربت‌جام، پست الکترونیک: [e-mail], [e-mail] 

چکیده. علفِ سلام علیک (Cyperus rotundus L.) یک گیاه دارویی و از گونۀ جگن (خانواده Cyperaceae، جگنیان) است که در مراتع مختلف جهان به‌ویژه ایران می‌روید. تاکنون ویژگی‌های تغذیه‌ای این گیاه برای متخصصان تغذیه علوم دامی از لحاظ علمی مورد بررسی قرار نگرفته است. بنابراین، این پژوهش با هدف بررسی پتانسیل تغذیه‌ای علفِ سلام علیک در سه مرحله از رشد و با روش‌های مختلف آزمایشگاهیِ استاندارد انجام شد. میزان مختلفی از ترکیبات شیمیایی-معدنی در بین مراحل مختلف رشد علفِ سلام علیک مشاهده شد. مقادیر مختلفی از ماده خشک (15/25-86/18 درصدی از وزن تر)، پروتئین خام (40/14-51/10 درصدی از ماده خشک)، الیاف نامحلول در شوینده خنثی (40/33-42/27 درصد)، الیاف نامحلول در شوینده اسیدی (83/24-75/18 درصد)، خاکستر کل (40/13-95/10 درصد) و کربوهیدرات‌های غیرفیبری (14/45-01/41 درصد) در بین سه مرحله رشد متفاوت علفِ سلام علیک مشاهده شد (P < 0.05). همچنین مقادیر مختلفی از مواد معدنی سدیم (88/2-38/2 گرم/کیلوگرم ماده خشک)، کلسیم (77/4-19/4 گرم)، فسفر (36/1-20/1 گرم)، منیزیم (99/2-50/2 گرم)، پتاسیم (33/29-10/27 گرم)، منگنز (12/54-13/45 میلی‌گرم/کیلوگرم ماده خشک) آهن (527-470 میلی‌گرم) و روی (07/18-40/13 میلی‌گرم) در بین سه مرحله رشدی علفِ سلام علیک مشاهده شد (P < 0.05). بیشترین میزان پتانسیل تولید گاز (66/47 میلی‌لیتر/200 میلی‌گرم ماده خشک) برای علفِ سلام علیک در مرحله رویشی مشاهده شد (P < 0.05). قابلیت هضم ماده خشک (97/47 درصد) و ماده آلی (30/43 درصد)، انرژی قابل متابولیسم (54/4 مگاژول/کیلوگرم ماده خشک)، انرژی خالص برای شیردهی (14/2 مگاژول/کیلوگرم ماده خشک) و مصرف ماده خشک (38/4 درصدی از وزن زنده بدن) در مرحله رویشی علفِ سلام علیک از بالاترین میزان برخوردار بود (P < 0.05). با توجه به پتانسیل تغذیه‌ای نسبتاً مطلوب علفِ سلام علیک، این استنباط را می‌توان داشت که این گیاه می‌تواند برخی از نیازهای غذایی نشخوارکنندگان کوچک را در حد نگهداری براحتی تأمین نماید. همچنین مرحلۀ رویشیِ این گیاه از ارزش تغذیه‌ای بالاتری نسبت به دو مرحله دیگر برخوردار بود. این گیاه می‌تواند از نظر تغذیه‌ای با سیلاژ ذرت به‌عنوان علوفه‌ای که در تغذیه نشخوارکنندگانِ کوچک به‌وفور مورد استفاده قرار می‌گیرد، قابل مقایسه باشد.

کلمات کلیدی: علفِ سلام علیک، ارزش تغذیه‌ای، مرحله رشد، گیاه مرتعی

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