Degradabilidade “In situ” da silagem da casca de maracujá (Passiflora edulis, Sims) em ovinos fistulados

Abstract

The present study aimed to study the "in situ" ruminal degradability of passion fruit peel silage (Passiflora edulis, Sims). For this, silage samples were incubated in the rumen of four fistulated Santa Inês sheep for periods of 0, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, and 84 hours. The nylon bag technique was used to evaluate the degradation of Dry Matter (DM), Crude Protein (CP), Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF), and Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF). The results indicated that incubation times influenced degradability. The degradability rates at the maximum time of 84 hours reached 74.80% for DM, 71.88% for CP, 59.00% for NDF, and 43.40% for ADF. The effective degradability (for a passage rate of 6%/hour) was calculated at 65.67% (DM), 68.11% (CP), 62.73% (NDF), and 55.28% (ADF). The percentage of DM degraded (74.80%) was higher than values reported in the literature for corn silage. It is concluded that incubation times increased the degradation rates of the components. Based on the bromatological analysis and the degradability behavior, the use of passion fruit peel silage is recommended as a component in balancing ruminant rations, although its high moisture content may be a limiting factor and it should not be used as a sole feed.