Evaluation of the cubato (Acacia cochliacatha) pod and guásimo (Guazuma ulmifolia) fruit using the in vitro gas production technique

Abstract

The pods and fruits of legumes have the potential to be used in ruminant feeding. The objective of the present investigation was to evaluate the in vitro fermentative characteristics of the cubato pod and guásimo fruit, for which 0.5 g of guásimo fruits and cubato pods were incubated with 40 mL of culture medium under a continuous flow of CO2. in an incubator at 39 °C for 72 h, where they were inoculated with 10 mL of fresh ruminal fluid obtained from a bovine fed with pangola grass. Biogas production was measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, and biogas production kinetics estimators were determined using the Gompertz model. Methane production was measured at 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation, subsequently the pH of the medium and dry matter degradation were measured. The variables were analyzed in a completely randomized design and the average values ​​were compared with Tukey's test. The biogas production of the evaluated legumes showed a difference in the first 2 h of incubation (p<0.05). The estimators of the fermentation kinetics showed a difference in the lag time or microbial efficiency (p<0.05), where the guásimo fruit was 17% less than the cubato pod. Methane production did not present differences during the evaluated period (p>0.05). The culture medium where guásimo was used as substrate was 2.2% more acidic than the medium with cubato pod as substrate (p<0.05). The degradation of the guásimo fruit was 50.3% higher than the cubato pod (p<0.05). The cubato pod and guásimo fruit present desirable in vitro fermentative characteristics for their use in food.