Abstract:
Chromolaena odorata (Siam weed) has been classi®ed as a
weed plant in West Africa. Data from C. odorata foliage
after 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of regrowth showed that
the leaf fraction had a crude protein content above
194 g kg±1 dry matter (DM) and an average leaf to stem
ratio of 2á1:1. Chemical analysis of the leaf fraction of an
8-week-old regrowth indicated a high crude protein
content (258 g kg±1 DM) and a high degradable nitrogen content (60á7 g N kg±1 digestible organic matter),
but low neutral-detergent ®bre (331 g kg±1 DM), aciddetergent lignin (53á1 g kg±1 DM), total extractable
phenolic (37á1 g kg±1 DM), extractable tannin (0á72
absorbance at 550 nm) and extractable condensed
tannin (1á4 g kg±1 DM) contents. In sacco degradability
analysis of the 8-week-old regrowth leaf sample
showed a high 48 h organic matter (935 g kg±1 DM)
and crude protein (953 g kg±1 DM) degradability. The
leaf sample had an organic matter degradability of
670 g kg±1 DM as estimated by cumulative gas production in vitro after 24 h incubation. There was little or
no phenolic-related antinutritive factors in C. odorata.
Additionally, leaf samples had no effect on rumen
protozoa activity estimated as the rate of [14C]leucine
Selenomonas ruminantum bacterial protein breakdown.
Data from this study suggest that C. odorata leaves are of
high nutritive value and might have the potential to be
used as a protein supplement to ruminants. There is
need for further investigation to test whether C. odorata
leaves may have any deleterious effect on the host
animal
