Nutritional value of some forest tree leaves to meet partial nutritional requirements of ‎livestock

This study aimed to compare and determine the nutritional value of leaves collected from five forest tree species including Fraxinus excelsior, Pinus eldarica, Crataegus azarolus, Morus alba, and Salix alba. Some chemical-mineral compounds, gas production parameters, buffering capacity as well as some fermentation parameters were determined according to the standard laboratory methods. Data were analyzed using a completely randomized design. A significant difference was observed among all measured parameters (p < 0.05). The crude protein contents of leaves ranged from 8.30% for P. eldarica to 18.50% for M. alba. The contents of NDF (53.03%), ADF (38.48%), ADL (16.67%), and CF (35.01%) were highest in P. eldarica (p < 0.05). M. alba had the highest ash, nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, and sodium, while S. alba had the highest Zinc (p < 0.05). The gas production parameters (exception constant rate of gas production), true organic matter and dry matter digestibility, DMI, metabolism energy, short-chain fatty acids, titrable acidity, and pH belonged to each leaf, were highest in M. alba (p < 0.05). P. eldarica also had the highest (p < 0.05) acid-base buffering capacity (206.23 meq×10-3). The each of leaves has been revealed to contain an appreciable amount of nutrients which can be included in the diets of small ruminants to meet their daily nutrient requirements.