Effect of supplementing Leucaena leucocephala leaves alone or in conjunction with malic acid on nutrient utilization, performance traits, and enteric methane emission in crossbred calves under tropical conditions

• Published in: Tropical animal health and production Vol. 53; no. 5; p. 514
• Main Authors: Sarkar, Srobana, Mohini, Madhu, Sharma, Amit, Tariq, Hujaz, Pal, Ravi Prakash
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.11.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acids; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Calves; Cattle; Diet; Dietary intake; Digestibility; Dry matter; Emission; Emissions; Leucaena leucocephala; Life Sciences; Malic acid; Metabolism; Methane; Microorganisms; Nitrogen; Nutrient utilization; Nutrients; Physical growth; Protein biosynthesis; Protein synthesis; Protein turnover; Regular Articles; Straw; Sulfur; Sulfur hexafluoride; Tracer techniques; Veterinary Medicine/Veterinary Science; Wheat; Wheat straw; Zoology; Methane emission; Malic acid; Nutrient utilization; Growth
• ISSN: 0049-4747; 1573-7438
• DOI: 10.1007/s11250-021-02941-7

Dietary strategies aiming at minimizing enteric methane (CH 4 ) emission in ruminants are of practical interest from nutritional, economical, and environmental point of view. The present study evaluated the effects of supplementing Leucaena leucocephala leaves either alone or in conjunction with malic acid on nutrient utilization, growth performance, and enteric CH 4 emission in crossbred cattle fed wheat straw and concentrate-based diet under tropical conditions. Eighteen crossbred (Karan-Fries) calves were randomly allocated into 3 groups: G-I (control)—fed wheat ( Triticum aestivum ) straw and concentrate mixture in the ratio 50:50; G-II—fed wheat straw, concentrate mixture, and Leucaena leucocephala  leaves in the ratio 45:45:10; and (3) G-III—fed similar diet like G-II with an additional supplementation of 1% malic acid on dry matter intake basis. Experimental feeding spanning 90 days included a 7-day metabolism trial and CH 4 quantification study by sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique. Results revealed no significant effect of dietary treatments on dry matter intake (DMI) and digestibility of nutrients, except neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility which was 5.5% higher ( P  < 0.05) in G-III as compared to control. Further, nitrogen (N) metabolism, rumen microbial protein synthesis, and growth performance remained similar among the treatments. No significant effect was also observed for enteric CH 4 emission (expressed as g/day and g/kg DMI) in calves supplemented with Leucaena leucocephala leaves and malic acid. Therefore, the present findings depict modest improvement in fiber digestibility with no encouraging effect in mitigating enteric CH 4 in growing cattle calves by supplementing Leucaena leucocephala leaves alone or with malic acid within the selected levels.