Improvement of Forage Nutritive Quality of Alfalfa and Red Clover through Plant Breeding

Tucak, Marijana; Ravlić, Marija; Horvat, Daniela; Čupić, Tihomir

doi:10.3390/agronomy11112176

Cited by 22 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 35 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Fibre is often regarded as the negative index of nutritive quality 47 , 48 . It is negatively related to digestibility of feed, as lower the concentration of fibre in feed it become easier to digest which results in good energy value 24 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid lignin fibre (ADL) were done by adopting the methodology prescribed by Van Soest et al . 48 . Cellulose and hemicellulose contents were calculated by the formulae Cellulose = ADF-ADL, Hemicellulose = NDF-ADF 48 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 48 . Cellulose and hemicellulose contents were calculated by the formulae Cellulose = ADF-ADL, Hemicellulose = NDF-ADF 48 .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Connecting nutritional facts with the traditional ranking of ethnobotanically used fodder grasses by local farmers in Central Punjab of Pakistan

Harun

Chaudhry

Shaheen

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The local farmers of Central Punjab, Pakistan have been using indigenous grasses as vital components of ruminant diets, but little is reported about their nutritional potential. Hence this study investigated nutritive potential of a selection of ethnobotanically important fodder grasses. Multiple nutritional parameters (proximate components, fibre fractions), secondary metabolites (phenolics, tannins) and in vitro digestibility values were determined. Furthermore, the legitimacy of ethnobotanical knowledge of local inhabitants about these grasses was also verified. The results suggested that majority (77%) of these grasses can be regarded as good quality fodders because of their high protein (169 g/kg) and good digestibility (457 g/kg) with moderate fibre (≤ 602 g/kg), lignin (≤ 50 g/kg) and secondary metabolites (total phenols ≤ 87 g/kg, total tannins ≤ 78 g/kg, condensed tannins ≤ 61 g/kg). Pearson correlation between nutritional parameters indicated that in vitro digestibility values were positively correlated with crude proteins (IVDMD, r = + 0.83 and IVOMD, r = + 0.83 respectively) and negatively correlated with fibre (NDF, r = − 0.91), ADF, r = − 0.84 and ADL, r = − 0.82) contents. Moreover, a positive relationship was identified between ethnobotanical knowledge and laboratory findings for studied grasses. Spearman correlation test showed that ranking of grasses based on ethnobotanical preferences were highly correlated (r values) with the laboratory results for CP (0.85), NDF (− 0.76), ADF (− 0.72) and ADL (− 0.62). The resilient complementarities between ethnobotanical preferences and nutritive analysis authenticate farmer’s traditional knowledge, which needed to be aligned with the corresponding scientific data. Farmers can use these findings for appropriate fodder selection and development of precise supplements for feeding ruminants within a sustainable and economically viable livestock industry for food security.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Connecting nutritional facts with the traditional ranking of ethnobotanically used fodder grasses by local farmers in Central Punjab of Pakistan

Harun

Chaudhry

Shaheen

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In addition to the extensive research of Medicago species triterpene saponins and phytoestrogens [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], alfalfa contains potentially valuable phenolics with an excellent ability to capture oxidative free radicals [ 12 , 15 ]. Several classes of alfalfa phenolics were reported in the literature, and among them, phenolic acids and flavonoids are widely present [ 9 , 16 , 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterization of Forage Quality, Phenolic Profiles, and Antioxidant Activity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Horvat

Vuletić

Andrić

et al. 2022

Plants

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage species and is recently more in focus for human consumption mainly due to its content of bioactive phenolics. Samples of the seventeen alfalfa cultivars/populations were collected at the Agricultural Institute Osijek with the aim to evaluate their forage quality, phenolic profiles, and antioxidant potential. Significant differences (p < 0.05) existed among studied alfalfa in all analyzed traits. The cultivar OS 99 and populations L7 and L20 were characterized by high crude protein content (22.5–24.7%) and the lowest neutral (40.2–42.9%) and acid detergent fibres (33–35.5%). The soluble-free phenolics from alfalfa leaves were extracted by methanol while insoluble cell-wall bound phenolics were released by alkaline hydrolysis. The bound phenolic extract showed a stronger DPPH scavenging capacity (20.8 mg TE/g dm) than the soluble (11.4 mg TE/g dm). The HPLC data revealed that more phenolics were found in the bound (3638.0 μg/g dm) than in the soluble form (912.3 μg/g dm). In the soluble extract of the alfalfa leaves, the major compound was catechin (338.3 μg/g dm), while rutin, epicatechin, and ferulic acid were minor ones. In the bound phenolic extract, the most abundant was ferulic (2198.2 μg/g dm) and p-coumaric acid (983.7 μg/g dm), followed by myricetin, apigenin, and quercetin. The principal component analysis revealed that alfalfa cultivars/populations were better discriminated based on the data on phenolics, rather than on forage quality. The cultivars/populations Florida 66, OS 66, L 40, L 42, Seed Force 4, and Torlesse were the most interesting in terms of phenolic health-promoting characteristics.

show abstract

“…Alfalfa, a kind of green fodder in traditional-style pig feeding systems in China, contains mainly insoluble dietary fiber, including cellulose, xylans, and lignin (5,6). However, other studies have reported that diets with a high fiber content may negatively affect feed intake and nutrient digestibility in growing pigs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of alfalfa levels on carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid composition, amino acid profile, and gut microflora composition of Heigai pigs

Zhang

et al. 2022

Front. Nutr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the demand for healthy and high-quality pork. Alfalfa, one of the most popular perennial forages, is considered a rich source of highly nutritional forage for livestock feed, as it contains over 90% insoluble dietary fiber. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of data confirming the effects of adding alfalfa on pork quality, amino acid composition, and intestinal microbiota composition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary levels of alfalfa on carcass traits, meat quality, amino acid and fatty acid composition, and the intestinal microbiota of Heigai pigs. A total of 72 finishing Heigai pigs were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 36), with six replicate groups and six pigs per replication. The two experimental diets were formulated to include graded levels of alfalfa, 20% (AM20) and 30% (AM30). The results showed that adding 30% alfalfa meal did not affect the growth performance of Heigai pigs but significantly reduced backfat thickness (P < 0.05), pH (P < 0.05), increased the a* value, b* value, and flavor amino acid and essential amino acid contents in longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM). In addition, AM30 didn't affect colonic microbiota abundance but significantly reduced the relative abundances of three phyla, such as Verrucomicrobia, and 43 genera, such as Akkermansia, and significantly increased the relative abundances of 47 genera, such as Prevotella-2. Overall, these results advocate for a diet containing 30% alfalfa to improve meat quality by changing the intestinal microflora composition without affecting the growth performance of Heigai pigs, which provides compelling evidence for the use of alfalfa to relieve the pressure on corn and soybean meal demand and produce high-quality pork.

show abstract

Improvement of Forage Nutritive Quality of Alfalfa and Red Clover through Plant Breeding

Cited by 22 publications

References 35 publications

Connecting nutritional facts with the traditional ranking of ethnobotanically used fodder grasses by local farmers in Central Punjab of Pakistan

Connecting nutritional facts with the traditional ranking of ethnobotanically used fodder grasses by local farmers in Central Punjab of Pakistan

Characterization of Forage Quality, Phenolic Profiles, and Antioxidant Activity in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

Effects of alfalfa levels on carcass traits, meat quality, fatty acid composition, amino acid profile, and gut microflora composition of Heigai pigs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About