Nuclear and correlated techniques to evaluate tanniniferous plants in ruminant feeding

• Grant number: 02/10575-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2003
• End date: March 31, 2008
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Adibe Luiz Abdalla
• Grantee: Adibe Luiz Abdalla
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the tropics, the leguminous browses can be sources of energy and protein for the ruminant. However, the nutritional value of those plants can be harmed due to the content of polyphenolic compounds. The effect of those compounds can take to an inhibition of the fermentation in the rumen. The knowledge of the content, the chemical composition and the effect of those compositions in the nutritional value of the plants for the fermentation in the rumen can contribute to improve the handling and the use of those forages for the animal nutrition. New techniques for the evaluation of these foods are necessary; among them we can suggest studies to esteem the tax of ruminal degradation and the microbial synthesis. Researchers involved in the CNPq research group nuclear and immunenzyme techniques in studies of agricultural productivity, are devoted to the study of factors that affect the agricultural productivity and their interaction with the atmosphere, through the nutritional evaluation of the foods, of the study of metabolism of nutrients in the domestic animals and of biochemical parameters related to the reproduction and animal nutrition. The experience of the group, the means offered by the involved institutions, the great interest presented in the international and national literature as for the effects of phenolic compounds in the feeding of the animals and the need of necessary and coherent information with the conditions of Brazil, they took to the elaboration of this thematic project, seeking the obtaining of a group of coherent results on the use of tanninipherous plants in diets for ruminant. The objectives are of determining the efficiency and/or to promote the use of tanninipherous plants in the feeding of ruminant; through in vitro, in situ and in vivo methodologies. The goals can be summarized in determining the parameters of the degradability of tanninipherous plants, to determine the biological effects of tannins in the feeding of ruminant and to elaborate suggestions of feeding strategies of small ruminant using tanninipherous plants seeking the improvement in the animal productivity; as well as to establish a protocol for evaluation of the potential of use of tanninipherous plants in the feeding of ruminant. (AU)