Effect of Cooking Duration on Chemical Composition and Degradation Characteristics of Rattle Box (Crotalaria retusa) Seed using In Sacco Technique

Abstract

Three ruminally fistulated Yankasa rams were used to study the effect of cooking duration on chemical composition and degradation characteristics of rattle box (Crotalaria retusa) seeds using the in sacco degradability method. Crotalaria retusa seeds were subjected to cooking time of 0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes, respectively. Four concentrate diets containing Crotalaria retusa seed meal cooked at 0, 15, 30 and 45 minutes were used for this study at incubation periods 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours. The proximate composition showed that duration of cooking had effect on most of the parameters. The CP contents were 20.60, 21.57, 23.97 and 21.97% for 0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes cooking duration, respectively. All the antinutritional factors analysed showed a decrease with increases in cooking time. Phytate showed a decrease with increase in cooking time from 7.31 to 3.22 at 0 to 45 minutes cooking duration, respectively. The result showed a similar pattern for rate of degradation at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hours incubation time with 45 minutes cooking duration significantly (P<0.05) recorded the highest values of 47.00, 54.67, 73.00, 87.00, 90.67 and 93.00 percent disappearance of the experimental feed, respectively. The highest degradability (a+b) was in 0 minutes cooking duration, which was significantly (P<0.05) higher than in 15 and 30 minutes cooking. The rate of degradation constant (c) was significantly (P<0.05) lower in 0, 15 and 30 minutes cooking duration as compared to 45 minutes cooking duration. Effective dry matter degradation significantly (P<0.05) decreased with cooking duration in out flow rate (k). It can be concluded from this study that, cooking duration affects degradation characteristics of C. retusa seeds.

Keywords: Crotalaria retusa seed, cooking duration, in sacco, rumen degradation