Seabuckthorn leaves as cattle feed-a comparative evaluation

The study was taken up to assess the nutritional worth of seabuckthorn leaves for livestock. The composition of seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) leaves compared favourably with other commonly used tree forages and contained 17.3, 31.1, 19.2, 12, 0 and 5.2 per cent CP, NDF, ADF, hemicel-lulose and ash respectively. The fiber bound N was lower than in Artocarpus lakoocha, Ficus roxburghi, Leucaena leucocephala and Morus alba. Around 30% of the fiber bound N was available for luminal degradation while 9.2% was unavailable. The content of total tannins, hydrolysable tannins, condensed tannins and fiber bound condensed tannins was 9.9, 8.8, 1.1 and 0.54% respectively. In sacco studies revealed greater availability of cell contents and almost similar degradation pattern of DM and N in the leaves. The contents of RDN and UDN was almost similar in seabuckthorn and B. variegata. The higher UDN in A. catechu and A. stipulata was due to higher phenolics content. Degradation kinetic parameters studied by in vitro gas production technique revealed that the potential gas production for DM was 31.1 ml/200mg while the rate of degradation was 0.065. Gas production increased on addition of PEG in H. rhamnoides, A. catechu and F. roxburghii indicating the adverse effects of tannins, however the increase was highest in seabuckthorn leaves. The DM intake potential and degradation parameters by in sacco as well as by in vitro gas production technique indicated potential of seabuckthorn leaves as cattle feed.