Table 5.
Production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) at 72 h of in vitro ruminal fermentation of the foliage of tropical trees and shrubs.
| Species | SCFA (mmol/L) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acetic | Propionic | Isobutyric | Butyric | Isovaleric | Valeric | Total | Acetic: Propionic Ratio |
|
| C. plectostachyus | 40.64 bc | 10.45 bc | 0.87 ab | 5.71 abc | 1.33 abc | 0.91 ab | 59.90 bc | 3.89 |
| A lebbeck | 42.34 abc | 12.21 ab | 1.09 a | 5.66 abc | 1.95 a | 1.02 a | 64.27 ab | 3.47 |
| B. alicastrum | 48.84 ab | 12.16 ab | 0.92 ab | 7.86 a | 1.53 abc | 0.97 a | 72.28 ab | 4.02 |
| B. simaruba | 28.97 d | 7.23 cd | 0.53 ab | 3.31 d | 0.84 bc | 0.49 bc | 41.38 d | 4.01 |
| C. aconitifolius | 50.07 ab | 14.05 a | 0.90 ab | 7.68 a | 1.48 abc | 1.05 a | 75.23 | 3.69 |
| E. cyclocarpum | 29.20 d | 7.77 cd | 0.61 ab | 3.75 cd | 0.97 bc | 0.45 c | 42.75 d | 3.76 |
| G. sepium | 34.19 cd | 8.11 cd | 0.66 ab | 3.52 cd | 1.21 abc | 0.80 abc | 48.49 cd | 4.22 |
| G. ulmifolia | 24.67 d | 6.08 d | 0.34 b | 3.54 cd | 0.58 c | 0.45 c | 35.67 d | 4.06 |
| L. latisiliquum | 31.40 cd | 7.82 cd | 0.64 ab | 4.55 bcd | 1.00 abc | 0.52 bc | 45.94 cd | 4.01 |
| L. leucocephala | 29.57 d | 7.51 cd | 0.43 ab | 3.51 cd | 0.66 c | 0.46 c | 42.14 d | 3.94 |
| M. oleifera | 52.70 a | 13.19 ab | 0.95 ab | 6.62 ab | 1.65 ab | 1.15 a | 76.26 a | 3.99 |
| P. piscipula | 29.07 d | 7.28 cd | 0.55 ab | 3.51 cd | 0.88 bc | 0.47 c | 41.77 d | 3.99 |
| SEM | 1.46 | 0.42 | 0.047 | 0.27 | 0.077 | 0.044 | 2.19 | 0.067 |
a–d Different letters in the same column denote differences (p < 0.05). SEM = standard error mean.