Effect of Chemical (NaOH) Treatment on the Nutritive Value and Digestion Characteristics of some Lignocellulosic Materials

To evaluate the nutritive value in some lignocellulosic materials, 3 sets of experiments were conducted on aspen, and grape woods. To enhance the digestibility, the woods were treated with 5% NaOH. Throughout the first trial, chemical composition and digestibility coefficients of dry matter, organic matter and NDF of experimental feeds, pH of rumen, as well as palatability were evaluated while four rumen fistulated Makui rams being employed as test specimens. The results of the first set of experiments indicated the average of dry matter digestibility for raw aspen wood, treated aspen wood, raw grape wood vs treated grape wood as equal to 40.19, 59.47, 34.2, 59.11% respectively, average organic matter digestibility equal to 42.56, 60.4, 35.9, 60.15% respectively and average NDF digestibility amounting to 29.64, 46.72, 27.15, and 44.26% respectively. Also, the pH of rumen in all the treatments and at early hours of feeding was at its lowest and then increased. The palatability values for treated grape wood and treated aspen wood were higher than those for raw grape wood and raw aspen wood. Throughout the second trial, the degradability of dry matter, organic matter and NDF of the experimental feeds were evaluated through four rumen fistulated Holstein steer specimens. The results indicated the average dry matter effective degradability (0.03%) for raw aspen wood equal to 5.8%, for raw grape wood is equal to 11.5% for treated aspen wood equal to 36.1% and for treated grape wood equal to 37.1%., the average organic matter effective degradability (0.03%) for raw aspen wood was equal to 9.3%, for raw grape wood equal to 16%, for treated aspen wood equal to 33.2% and for treated grape wood is equal to 33%. The average NDF effective degradability (0.03%) for raw aspen wood was equal to 4.5%, for raw grape wood was equal to 6.2%, for treated aspen wood equal to 21.5%, and for treated grape wood equal to 16.2%. In the third set of trials, physical properties of the experimental diets were evaluated. The bulk density values for raw grape wood were higher than those for raw aspen wood. The water holding capacity values for raw aspen wood were higher than those for raw grape wood. The DM (of solution) values for raw aspen wood were higher than those for raw grape wood. It was finally concluded that chemical treatment of the woods (with NaOH 5%) positively affects the nutritive values of the woods.