The Effect of Substituting Concentrate with Different Levels of Gliricidia sepium Leaves in a Complete Feed on Nutrient Content, Crude Fiber Fractions, Digestibility, and In Vitro Fermentation Products
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of substituting concentrate with different levels of Gliricidia (Gamal) leaves in a complete feed on nutrient content, fiber fractions, digestibility, and fermentation products through in vitro analysis, as well as to determine the optimal level of Gliricidia leaf inclusion for producing high-quality complete feed. The method used in this study was a field experimental method for feed preparation, employing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to analyze nutrient content, crude fiber fraction components, and in vitro observation variables with four treatments and four replications. The highest NDF and ADF contents were observed in the control diet (P0), at 41.49% and 25.21%, respectively, while the lowest values were found in the P3 treatment, at 26.08% and 21.60%. Based on the analysis of variance, the dry matter digestibility (DMD) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) showed significant differences (P<0.01), with the P3 treatment having the highest values of 66.34% and 71.43%, respectively. Gas production from the 2nd to the 48th hour showed significant differences (P<0.01). The treatment diets showed a significant effect (P<0.01) on DMD and OMD, with the highest values in P3 (75.88% and 82.79%). Ammonia (NH₃) concentration measurements also showed significant differences (P<0.01). The results of microbial protein synthesis measurement after 48 hours of incubation showed a P-value > 0.05, with the highest value observed in treatment P3 at 44.024 g N/kg OMTR.