An Approach to N Balance in Pigs Fed High Levels of Mulberry and Trichanthera Leaf Meal in the Diet

SUMMARY A comparison was made of the effect of the inclusion of either 50% trichanthera (Trichanthera gigantea (H & B) Nees) or mulberry (Morus alba L) leaf meal in diet on rectal digestibility of nutrients and N balance of eight Mong Cai castrate male pigs weighing initially 23.7 kg. The animals were distributed at random into two treatments following a change over design with two equal periods of ten days each. Compared to trichanthera, mulberry leaf meal determined higher DM (P<0.001) and organic matter(P< 0.01) digestibility at the rectum site. N balance significantly (P< 0.05) favoured mulberry leaf meal, either as percentage of intake (35.5 and 60.5) or as percentage of digestion (53.3 and 82.2). The current study confirmed a high nutritive value for mulberry leaf meal if given to growing pigs. Data herein presented strongly suggest the necessity of more investigation to be conducted in order to improve the possible role of trichanthera leaves as a valuable source of protein for this type of animals, in tropical integrated systems of animal production.