Siam weed
belongs to the family Asteraleae .Its common names are Awolowo weed,
independence weed or siam weed (Okon and Amalu, 2003). It is used as a
livestock feed because of its high protein content and less anti-nutritional
factor (Iwu, 1993 and Phan et al., 2001) Siam weed after 4-12 weeks of
re-growth showed that the leaf fraction had a crude protein content about
194/kg dry matter (DM) and average leaf to stem ratio of 2:1.
Chemical
analysis of the leaf fraction of an 8- week-old regrowth indicated a high crude
protein content of 258 g/kg DM and a
high degradable nitrogen content but low in neutral detergent fibre (33l
g/kgDM), acid detergent lignin (53 kg/DM), total extractable phenolic (37.1kg/DM),
extractable tannin 0.72, absorbance at 550 mm) and extractable condense tannin
(1.4 g/kgDM). In sacco degradability analysis of the 8- weeks old regrowth, leaf
sample showed a higher 48% organic matter (935g kg -1DM) and crude protein (953
g/kgDM) degradability.
The leaf sample has an organic matter degradability of
670 g/kg DM as estimated by cumulative gas production in vitro after 24hrs
incubation. There was a little or no phenolic- related anti nutritive factors
in Chromoleana odorata. Additionally, leaf samples had no effect on
rumen protozoa activity. Chromoleana odorata leaves are of high
nutritive value and might have the potential to be used as a protein supplement
of leaf meal of Chromoleana odorata in feeding animals is the presence
of anti- nutritional factor (Checke and Myer, 1975) and this probably could be
avoided by adopting proper harvesting and sun- drying procedures (Fasuyi et
al., 2005),
OTHER USES OF CHROMOLEANA ODORATA
Chromoleana Odarata has medicinal
values and are usually used in treating inflammation and serves as an
anti-fungi, anti-hypertensive and anti-fungal agent (Akimoladun et al.,
2007).
CHROMOLEANA ODORATA IN LIVESTOCK
FEEDING
Information on the use of chromoleana
odorata in livestock nutrition is very scanty. This might be as a result of the
widespread speculation about its
toxicity to animals and offending nature of its odour. Reports of Madrid (1974)
of the consequent death that occurred in cattle following ingestion of Chromoleana
odorata leaves attested to the toxic nature of the plant in livestock
nutrition are as reviewed below.
Nwokolo
(1987) delved elaborately on the mineral and amino acid composition of Chromoleana
odorata. He reported on the amino acid composition and availability of
these leaf meals (Table 2). He concluded that the values obtained for mineral
and amino –acid availability could be attributed to the presence of anti
nutrient factors, especially tannins since they occur in high concentration in
plant materials and are associated with toxicity and poor growth rate and
depressed dietary nutrient utilization in livestock.
Table 1 Mineral
composition (Mg/kg) of Chromoleana odorata
leaf meal (dry matter basis)
Mineral Chromoleana odorata leaf meal
Phosphorus 4.532
Calcium 11,551
Magnessium 3202
Potassium 13 800
Copper 37
Zinc 52
Manganese 71
Iron 79
Source: Nwokolo (1987),
Table2: Animo Acid
composition of Chromoleana odorata
leaf meal Amino acid
Amino acid Chromoleana
odorata leaf meal
Asparte acid 8.2
Threonin 3.5
Serine 3.5
Elutamic acid 8.0
Proline 4.5
Elycine 4.2
Alanine 4.4
Cysteine 0.8
Valine 4.1
Methionine 1.3
Isoleucine 3.2
Leucin 6.4
Tyrosine 2.0
Phenylalanine 3.7
Histidine 3.2
Lysine 4.7
Arginine 4.
Amino acid availability (%) 65.40
Source: Nwokolo (1987).
Table 3 Dry matter
gross energy and proximate composition of Chromoleana
odorata leaf meal.
Nutrient Chromoleana odarata leaf meal nutrient
Dry matter (%) 87.40
Crude protein (%) 18.67
Crude fibre (%) 11.67
Ether extract(%) 1.01
Ash (%) 3.63
Nitrogen free extractive (%) 3.332
Source: Aro (1990)
OTHER POSTS ON AGRICULTURE
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