Effect of Ethanol on Ruminal Degradation Characteristics of Groundnut (Arachis hypogeal) cake

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the effect of treating ground nut cake (GNC) with different alcohol concentrations (50%,70% and 90%) on its dry matter (DM) and crude protein ruminal degradation percentage and characteristics. G.N.C was soaked for one hour at 78 o in the different alcohol concentrations and then air dried.Nylon bags technique was employed using castrated bull fitted with rumen canula. All treatments significantly (P < 0.05) increased in situ dry matter and crude protein degradation at zero time ,while at 3,6,and 12 hrs the treated cake showed lower degradation values for both DM and CP than the control. The untreated cake showed significantly (p<0.05) lower washing loss (a),water insoluble fraction (b) and potential degradability than the treated cake for both DM and CP. Alcohol treatment did not affect DM druminal degradation rate. Alcohol treatment showed ruminal CP degradation rate values of 6.21,9.08 and 3.7 for 50%,70 %and 90% alcohol treated GNC respectively ;which are significantly (p<0.0.5) lower than 9.22 observed in the untreated cake. Among the three treatments 90% alcohol treated GNC was more effective in protecting GNC from ruminal microflora degradability. It is concluded that alcohol treatment may increase the amount of GNC that bypass the rumen. More work is needed to verify these results before incorporating alcohol treated GNC in ruminants rations.