NUTRITIVE VALUE OF MEDITERRANEAN SHRUBS

Abstract

Nutritive values of the leaves of Mediterranean shrubsQuercus coccifera,Calicotome villosa ,Rhamnus oleoidesssp. graecus,Pistacia terebinthus, Paliurus spina-christiandPhillyrea latifolia, andLeuceana leucocephala,an introduced specieswere studied. These shrubs were handharvested from three plots established in the experimental field at before flowering,floweringandbear fruitstages. The nutritive values were evaluated in terms of the chemical composition, dry matter (DM),organic matter (OM), relative f eed value (RFV), dry matter intake(DM I)as well asdigestibledry matter (DDM) .Maturity had a significant effect on the chemical composition, ,OM andestimated paramete rs (DDM, DMI and RFV)of the leaves of the shrub species . Neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and condensed tannin (CT) contents increased with increasing maturity whereas the crude protein decreased. DM and estimated parameters alsodecreased with increasing maturity. CP, ADF , NDF, AshandCT contents ranged from6.4to33.3%, from6.9to39.1%, from 10.1 to 50.5%, from 2.9 to 6.8% and from0.7 to 1 5.8%, respectively. The OM andDM ranged from 93.2 to 97.1% and from 28.5 to 70.8%, res pectively. The digestibility DM ,DM intake andRFV ranged from58.4 to 83.5%, from 2.4 to 11.9% and from 107.7 to 769.3, respectively ADF, NDF and condensed tannincontentsof the leaves of the shrub species harvested at bear fruit stage were significantly higher thanthoseharvested at before flowering and flowering stages, while CP contentsand estimated parameters of the leaves of the shrub species harvested at flowering stage were significantly higher than those harvested at before flowering and bear fr uit stages.The biplot analysis indicated negative correlation of CP contentwithOM and DM, whereas it is positively correlated with CT an d