Rumen parameters of cattle fed hydrolyzed sunflower meal

Abstract

The aim was to evaluate the addition of sunflower meal hydrolyzed with calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) in cattle diets and it influences on ruminal parameters of pH and ammonia nitrogen. This study also evaluate the ruminal degradability of dry matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber from sunflower meal with or without treatment with 15, 30, 45, and 60 g of Ca(OH)2 kg-1 The sunflower meal hydrolysis did not influence the ruminal values of pH and ammonia nitrogen. The soluble fractions of dry matter and crude protein decrease with sunflower hydrolysis. Therefore, the potential degradation of crude protein did not affect, indicating that a posterior intestinal utilization of this protein would not be affected. The neutral detergent fiber solubility increase with hydrolysis, with lower percentages of undegradable fraction with 15 and 60 g of Ca(OH)2 kg-1  . The hydrolysis increases the potential degradable fraction and the degradability of neutral detergent fiber of sunflower meal without prejudicing it protein use in rumen. The use of 15 g of Ca(OH)2 kg-1 would be satisfactory to improve the degradation of neutral detergent fiber of sunflower meal.