NUTRITIVE VALUE AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF SOME CROP RESIDUES USED IN RUMINANT FEEDING

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the nutritive value and anti-nutritive properties of five common crop residues used in ruminant feeding. The crop residues used were, millet bran, groundnut hay, rice mill waste, cowpea husk and maize cobs. The treatments were laid in a completely randomized design. The samples were shade dried, pulverized and analyzed for nutritive value (proximate constituents) and antioxidant properties which were replicated thrice. Data collected were analyzed using SAS (2000) and means were separated using Tukey‘s test at P<0.05. The results obtained showed that there was significant (p<0.05) difference among the treatments in all variable evaluated. Cowpea husk had the highest crude protein contents (13.77%) and nitrogen free extract (80.33%) while ash content was found to be highest in groundnut hay (7.15%) and maize cobs had the least dry matter content (90.14%). Alkaloids and saponins levels were highest in groundnut hay (0.70%) and millet bran (2.58%) respectively. Groundnut hay had the least radical scavenging activity (0.29µg/ml) and (0.31µg/ml) at 0.8mg/ml and 1.0mg/l respectively while maize cobs had the highest at both concentrations. The ferric reducing power effect was recorded highest in rice mill waste (0.65µg/ml) at 0.4ml/l and least in maize cobs (0.48µg/ml) at 0.2mg/ml concentrations. It is concluded that in terms of crude protein and nitrogen free extract, cowpea husk proved to be superior. However, groundnut hay had superior ash content. Similarly, cowpea husk had the highest total antioxidant activity