Investigation of degradability and fermentation parameters of diets containing Konar) Ziziphus mauritiana) leaves and sunflower oil in ruminants

This experiment was coducted in order to investigate the inclusion of Konar (Ziziphus mauritiana) leaves containing tannins and sunflower oil as a source of poly unsaturated fatty acids (full of linoleic acid) in high concentrate diets on gas production and degradability. In this experiment the degradability and fermentation parameters by were compared by using in situ and gas production techniques. Gas production and degradation rate were measured at 0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hours in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement of treatments. Dietary treatments were control, 20% Konar leaves, 2.5 % sunflower oil and, 2.5 % sunflower oil +20% Konar leaves. The results showed that dry matter soluble fraction (a), 37.72 (p < 0.09), potentially degradable insoluble fraction (b), 49.41 (p < 0.06) and constant degragation rate (c), 0.0573 (p < 0.08) tended to decrease using Konar leaf. Effective dry matter degradability at different passage rates (74.07, 66.52 and 61.60 for effective degradability of 0.02, 0.04 and 0.06, respectively) decreased in diets containing Konar leaf (P <0.02). Effective degradability of crude protein significantly decreased (93.80, 90.32 and 87.60, respectively) at the passage rates of 0.02 (p < 0.01), 0.04 (p < 0.01) and 0.06 (p < 0.02). Significant differences (p < 0.01) were observed between treatments in terms of cumulative gas production at all incubation hours (2 to 96) between treatments due to addition of sunflower oil. Gas production potential, 105.04 (p < 0.01) and gas production rate, 0.110 (p < 0.06) were significantly increased by addition of sunflower oil. An increase in true organic matter digestibility (TOMD) and microbial mass production (MB) (p < 0.01) observed using Konar leaves in the diet. Totally, the results of this study showed that addition of Konar leaves and sunflower oil to the diet could affect fermentative and degradability parameters of diets with little interaction. This means that the effect of each of factors in the diet is independent. On the other hand, separate or mixed using of konar leaves containing tannins and sunflower oil had no adverse effect on ruminal function in vitro.