Effect of using Polyethylene glycol, 6000 on fermentation gas production of some species of grazing trees and shrubs leaves.

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) on in vitro gas production of some trees and shrubs leaves collected from Benghazi plain and Al-Jabal Al-Akhdar regions. The Leaves samples were incubated anaerobically with rumen liquid withdrawn from intact growing male sheep equipped with a cannula in their rumen

measured after 24 and 48 hours from the incubation of samples with rumen liquid. PEG was added at levels 15, 30 and 45 mg per 0.2 g dry matter. The results of chemical analysis showed that the crude protein (%) was 8.2, 9.5, 11.2, 13.4, 13.6, 16.5 for P. lentiscus, C. siliqua, A. herba alba, A. cyanophylla, R.  Raetam and  A.  halimus, respectively. In addition, the content of the ether extract was the highest (15.3) in A. herba alba and the lowest was in C. siliqua (6.4%), while the NDF content ranged from (32.4%) in the A. halimus to (46.4%) in the R. raetam, and show that the A. halimus has a lower ADF (13.8%) while the R. raetam contains the highest (34.4%). Results showed that the average cumulative gas production (ml/0.2 g DM) after 48h of incubation was higher (P<0.05) for C. siliqua then P. lentiscus followed by A. cyanophylla (22.9, 12.6 and 8.2), respectively. Supplementation of PEG (15, 30 and 45 mg PEG/0.2 g DM) increased (P<0.05) the cumulative gas production compared with control (13.5, 16.4 and 20 vs. 8.4).