Effect of dehydrated residue from acerola (Malpighia emarginata DC.) fruit pulp in lamb diet on intake, ingestive behavior, digestibility, ruminal parameters and N balance

Abstract This research evaluated the effects of acerola pulp residue in the lamb diet on intake, digestibility, ingestive behavior and ruminant fermentation. The treatments involved replacing ground corn by acerola fruit pulp residue at levels of 0, 80, 160, 240 and 320 g/kg DM of the total diet. To evaluate the intake, digestibility, N balance and ingestive behavior of lamb, 25 Santa Ines non-castrated male lamb (average age of 9 months and average initial BW of 35.10 ± 4.96 kg) were distributed in a completely randomized design in metabolic cages for a duration of 21 days. To evaluate the ruminal parameters, five fistulated Santa Ines male lamb (BW of 40 ± 3.70 kg) were distributed in a 5 × 5 Latin square design for 75 days. The dehydrated residue from acerola fruit pulp inclusion in lamb diets did not affect the intake of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), effective intake nutrients, CP digestibility, N intake, N fecal excretions, N urinary excretions, N balance, NDF eating ratio, ruminal fluid ammonia nitrogen concentration of lamb. However, there was a linear increase (P