Mineral composition and anti-nutrient contents of five selected forages fed to small ruminants in Epe Local Government Area, Lagos state

Abstract

The mineral composition and anti-nutritional factors of five selected forages Panicum maximum (T1), Commelina benghalensis (T2), Chamaecoustus cupidatus (T3), (Mimosa pudica (T4) and Aspenlenum bulbiferum (T5) were evaluated. Flame photometer was used to determine Na, K, and Ca while Zn and Fe were assayed. Anti- nutritional factors (ANFs) including phytate, oxalate, saponin and tannin were also determined using appropriate technique. The result of the mineral analysis indicated that Commelina benghalensis (T2) had significant (p< 0.05) high values for K (2.55%), Fe (0.4%), Zn (0.05%), Ca (2.19%) and P (0.56%). Aspenlenum bulbiferum (T5) had significant (p<0.05) low values for K (0.83%), Cu (0.005%), Zn (0.019%) and Mg (0.15%). There were significant (p<0.05) differences in all the anti-nutritional factors analysed, with the highest saponin value (9.16%) observed in T4 and the least value 2.76% in T1. Tannin values ranged between 2.32% and 5.36% in T3 and T5 respectively. The results showed that the selected forages were of high nutritional quality due to the high mineral contents with moderate presence of anti-nutritional factors, and may therefore form good feed resources for ruminant animal production.