Evaluating the Potential of Tridax procumbens and Asystasia gangetica as Ruminant Feed

Abstract

Tridax procumbens and Asystasia gangetica are extensively prevalent and can be found from tropical Asia to Africa. Both plant samples were found to have a high nutritional value, especially in protein, and to be highly attractive to ruminants. Therefore, the objectives of the study were to measure and compare the nutrient composition of Tridax procumbens and Asystasia gangetica in terms of the nutritional value for ruminants. Both plants samples were collected at Besut campus, University of Sultan Zainal Abidin. The samples were then washed under tap water to remove foreign matter such as soil to prevent soil contamination in the analysis. Then, the samples were dried in a furnace below 60 - 70˚C and crushed prior to further analysis using proximate analysis. Seven parameters were measured using proximate analysis, which included dry matter (DM), moisture, ash, crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ether extract (EE), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE). The findings in this study show that A. gangetica had significantly higher (p < 0.05) in dry matter (DM) (18.84%), crude protein (CP) (22.27%), and nitrogen-free extract (NFE) (50.25%). However, T. procumbens showed the highest nutrient in moisture (88.70%), ash (12.15%), crude fibre (CF) (25.01%), and ether extract (EE) with 3.71%. Thus, this study revealed that A. gangetica to have a higher potential to be used as an animal feed than T. procumbens.