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Chemical composition of chaya leaf meal (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) Johnston) and availability of its amino acids to chicks

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Abstract

Data are presented on the chemical composition of chaya leaf meal (CLM) (Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) Johnston) and the availability of its amino acids to chicks.

The crude protein, fat, ash, curde fibre and metabolizable energy contents were 296.2 g kg−1 dry matter (DM), 40.7 g kg−1 DM, 139.5 g kg−1 DM, 101.3 g kg−1 DM and 8.88 MJ kg−1 DM, respectively. CLM was relatively high in its content of calcium and iron. The sample contained anti-nutritional factors such as hydrocyanic acid and oxalate. No anti-tryptic activity was however detected in CLM.

The amino acid composition of CLM indicates it is a good source of lysine and a fair source of sulphur-containing amino acids, cystine and methionine. The overall amino acid availability was moderately high (84.0%). With the exception of methionine and cystine, the amino acids in CLM had availability values > 80% and could therefore be regarded as moderately highly available.

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    Present address: Animal Science Department, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

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