Ruminal fermentation kinetics of nine halophytic tree species at different growth stages

Abstract

Halophytic plant species have been used for forage from ancient periods due to their nutritional constituents. Additionally, there is little information on the effect of the consumption of halophytic plant species on the emission of fermentation gas by ruminants. This context was aimed to assess the chemical composition, mineral contents, and fermentation gas mitigation properties of nine different halophytic plants species, collected from south-eastern region of Iran. The minerals such as calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), and potassium (K) were estimated using atomic absorption spectroscopy, and phosphorus (P) by spectrophotometer. The mineral contents of halophytes were within the usual ranges. The rate of fermentation gas production (GP) among plants was calculated according to the standard protocol in a time-dependent manner (2–96 h) and revealed the characteristics of these halophytes. The GP was reduced for halophytes from vegetative and flowering stages to seed ripening stage. Parameters such as metabolisable energy, organic matter digestibility, and digestible organic matter in dry matter were estimated and observed to be decreased (P \0.05) among different growth stages of halophytes. The evaluation of chemical constituents, mineral components, and other parameters established the promising role of these halophytic plant species as efficacious forage resources for ruminants. Furthermore, these halophytes may be used as valuable feeding stuffs for ruminants due to the mitigation characteristics of fermentation gas and less use of energy-rich supplements, respectively.