Comparative evaluation of mulberry, stylosanthes, and moringa leaf meal in feed blocks: effects on methane mitigation, nutrient utilization, and meat quality in Malpura weaner lambs

IF 3.2 3区农林科学 Q2 AGRONOMY

Agroforestry Systems Pub Date : 2026-10-12 DOI:10.1007/s10457-026-01700-7

R. S. Bhatt, Lalit Kumar Soni, Arvind Soni, A. Sahoo, R. S. Godara, Arun Kumar

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Abstract

A Comparative study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of mulberry, stylosanthes, and moringa leaf meal on nutrient utilization, methane emission, and product quality in 36 Malpura weaner (3–6 month of age) lambs, randomly allotted to three groups (n = 12 per treatment). Each roughage source was incorporated at 30% level of the diet, processed into complete feed blocks, and offered ad libitum. The resulting feed blocks were designated as FB-Mulberry (30% mulberry leaves), FB-Stylosanthes (30% Stylosanthes hay), and FB-Moringa (30% moringa leaves). Lambs fed FB-Moringa exhibited significantly (P <0.05) higher daily dry matter intake, resulting in greater metabolizable energy (ME) and protein intake compared to FB-Mulberry and FB-Stylosanthes. The digestibility of organic matter was significantly (P <0.05) higher in FB-Mulberry, whereas nitrogen balance was greater in FB-Moringa. Daily enteric methane emissions were significantly (P <0.05) lower in FB-Moringa compared with FB-Mulberry and FB-Stylosanthes. Ruminal volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles revealed a higher (P <0.05) proportion of propionic acid in FB-Moringa, followed by FB-Stylosanthes, compared with FB-Mulberry. Microbial nitrogen synthesis was significantly (P <0.05) greater in FB-Moringa than in FB-Stylosanthes and FB-Mulberry. Production performance indicated that FB-Moringa feeding improved average daily gain by 18.6% and 17.3% compared with FB-Stylosanthes and FB-Mulberry, respectively, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved by 9.87% and 23.7% compared to FB-Mulberry and FB-Stylosanthes groups. Carcass traits revealed higher (P <0.05) pre-slaughter weight, empty live weight, and carcass weight in lambs in FB-Moringa followed by FB-Mulberry, and lowest in FB-Stylosanthes group; however, values of 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were lower (P <0.05), and those of shear force were higher (P < 0.05) in FB-Moringa, followed by FB-Mulberry. The Longissimus thoracis (LT) muscle fat from FB-Moringa lambs revealed lower (P <0.05) myristic (C14:0), palmitic (C16:0) acid and higher (P <0.05) stearic (C18:0), arachidic (C20:0) acid concentrations, in contrast the reverse trend was observed in FB-Mulberry. Meat nuggets from FB-Moringa- and FB-Mulberry-fed lambs showed lower (P <0.05) TBARS values, reduced total plate counts, and higher redness values, indicating improved oxidative stability, microbial quality, and colour retention after 21 days of storage. In conclusion, incorporation of moringa leaf meal at 30% level in complete feed blocks emerges as a suitable feeding strategy for sustainable small ruminant production by improving nutrient utilization and lowering energy losses by 4.5–7.4% through the mitigation of enteric methane emissions. Moreover, it favourably modulated the muscle fatty acid profile by lowering the proportions of C14:0 and C16:0 fatty acids and improving the hypocholesterolemic to hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio, thereby enhancing overall product quality.

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饲料块中桑葚、柱茎花和辣木叶粕的对比评价：对马尔普拉断奶羔羊甲烷减排、养分利用和肉品质的影响

本试验研究了桑、茎花和辣木叶粉对36只马尔普拉断奶羔羊（3 ~ 6月龄）营养物质利用、甲烷排放和产品品质的影响，随机分为3组（每个处理n = 12）。每种粗料源在饲粮中添加30%的水平，加工成完整的饲料块，随意饲喂。所得饲料块分别为fb -桑叶（30%桑叶）、fb -柱花草（30%柱花草干草）和fb -辣木（30%辣木叶）。饲喂fb -辣木的羔羊日干物质采食量显著（P <0.05）高于饲喂fb -桑和fb -花柱的羔羊，其代谢能（ME）和蛋白质采食量显著高于饲喂fb -桑和fb -花柱的羔羊。蚕桑组有机质消化率显著（P <0.05）高于蚕桑组，辣木组氮平衡显著高于蚕桑组。与fb -桑树和fb -茎柱花相比，fb -辣木的日肠道甲烷排放量显著（P <0.05）降低。瘤胃挥发性脂肪酸（VFA）分析显示，辣木组丙酸含量高于桑葚组（P <0.05），香柱组次之。辣木组微生物氮合成显著（P <0.05）高于茎柱花组和桑树组。生产性能表明，饲粮中添加辣木组的平均日增重比添加辣木组和添加桑叶组分别提高18.6%和17.3%，饲料系数比添加桑叶组和添加桑叶组分别提高9.87%和23.7%。屠体性状显示，辣木组羔羊宰前重、空活重和胴体重最高（P <0.05），桑木组次之，花柱花组最低；但2-硫代巴比妥酸活性物质（TBARS）值较低（P <0.05），剪切力值较高（P <0.05），其次是fb -辣木。辣木羔羊胸最长肌脂肪中肉豆蔻酸（C14:0）、棕榈酸（C16:0）浓度较低（P <0.05），硬脂酸（C18:0）、花生酸（C20:0）浓度较高（P <0.05），而桑羊则相反。饲喂fb -辣木和fb -桑葚的羔羊肉块的TBARS值较低（P <0.05），总盘子数减少，红度值较高，表明在21天后氧化稳定性、微生物质量和保色性得到改善。综上所述，在全饲料块中添加30%辣木叶粉可提高小反刍动物的营养利用率，通过减少肠道甲烷排放，使能量损失降低4.5-7.4%，是可持续生产小反刍动物的适宜饲养策略。此外，通过降低C14:0和C16:0脂肪酸的比例，提高低胆固醇血症与高胆固醇血症（h/ h）比，有利于调节肌肉脂肪酸谱，从而提高产品的整体质量。

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来源期刊

Agroforestry Systems 农林科学-林学

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

9.10%

发文量

审稿时长

4.5 months

期刊介绍： Agroforestry Systems is an international scientific journal that publishes results of novel, high impact original research, critical reviews and short communications on any aspect of agroforestry. The journal particularly encourages contributions that demonstrate the role of agroforestry in providing commodity as well non-commodity benefits such as ecosystem services. Papers dealing with both biophysical and socioeconomic aspects are welcome. These include results of investigations of a fundamental or applied nature dealing with integrated systems involving trees and crops and/or livestock. Manuscripts that are purely descriptive in nature or confirmatory in nature of well-established findings, and with limited international scope are discouraged. To be acceptable for publication, the information presented must be relevant to a context wider than the specific location where the study was undertaken, and provide new insight or make a significant contribution to the agroforestry knowledge base